Opinions & Interviews

SHKLOV DISTRICT, 21 April (BelTA) – Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko and his three sons worked to landscape Trofim’s Spring-Well near the agro-town of Alexandria during the National Clean-Up Day on 21 April. The president told journalists about his memories of the place, BelTA has learned.

“This is my native land. I’ve walked all over the place barefoot when I was a kid. We grazed cattle on the meadow here. We collected firewood. Everything here is so much habitual yet very special for me,” the president said.

As for the healing properties of the water, Alexander Lukashenko stressed that the spring is a prayed-in place. People have always come to the spring to pray.

“We have beautified it. People from around the CIS come here. This place is very popular with Belarusians, Russians, and Ukrainians. This spring should be kept in good condition,” the president said.

Three teams worked on Trofim’s Spring-Well on the clean-up day. They planted trees and shrubs, installed birdhouses, lined up the walkways and laid out flowerbeds and put up a memorial sign with a brief history of this place.

The spring-well was first mentioned in 1917. In 2013 Trofim’s Spring-Well was restored on the instructions of the president. The water is hallowed and has uniquely pure properties. It is known that the spring-well was one of Alexander Lukashenko’s favorite places in his childhood. There is a family story connected with the place. In his time the president's grandfather – the carpenter Trofim —landscaped the spring-well. People named the place after him.

Now there is a small garden near the well. Trees have been planted in the form of the letters T and K (Cyrillic), thus perpetuating the name of the spring-well.

Lately, given the growing popularity of the place, other works have been carried out: flowerbeds have been laid out, several gazebos, benches and even a font has been built. Under its arches, there are the symbols of the four religions - Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Islam, and Judaism - as a sign of inter-religious peace in Belarus. On the wall inside the font there is an inscription in the Belarusian language: “By thoughts of God and by human hands this life-giving spring was created. It was given to the people to strengthen health and spirit."

Alexander Lukashenko said that he visits the spring-well at least a few times a year and takes a dip. None of the accompanying people, who also dipped themselves in the font, has ever got sick. “Probably, there is something in it. But I think it is psychology in terms of science. Or maybe not only science but the Lord has consecrated this place,” the head of state noted.

“In summer this place will be green with grass. Our trees will take root. When you come here in August, you will see an absolutely different place,” the Belarusian leader said.