President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has stressed the importance of the Belarusian people preserving their cultural sovereignty. He made this statement at the ceremony for awarding the "For Spiritual Revival" prize, special prizes for cultural and art figures, and the "Belarusian Sport Olympus" prize, as reported by a BELTA correspondent.
"We, Belarusians, are creators by nature. We have always lived by our own intellect, which is why we have preserved our way of life, culture, and spirituality through the most challenging periods of development. This is very important. Many today, especially our fugitives, are vociferously shouting about the 'decline' of spirituality and culture. There will be no 'decline' if we present our people with masterpieces of this creativity. No one will stifle anyone for their creative work. This has never happened in our recent history and never will. But we will not allow anyone to destroy what has been created and developed over centuries by generations of Belarusians – our traditions, our spirituality, and our highest feelings are based on the past. And it must not be destroyed. It is also not advisable to excessively politicize it," stated the Belarusian leader.
At the same time, according to the President, Belarus is open to the world, respects the customs and traditions of other peoples, and is receptive to new ideas. "But on one condition: everything that enters the lives of Belarusians must resonate with, correspond to our national values, our spiritual world, and enrich our nation culturally," said the head of state.
Alexander Lukashenko emphasized that the future of the nation depends, in part, on the personal example of all participants and guests of the ceremony, on their civic stance and professional choices: "You do not need to be told how important it is to maintain our cultural sovereignty. It naturally begins with a careful attitude towards the purity of our native language (Russian and Belarusian), the priority of traditional content in creative projects and celebrations, the traditional design of our national product, and our entire living space."
The head of state called deep respect for the native culture created by folk masters, Soviet and Belarusian classics, a matter of national dignity: "We must in no way abandon what we have achieved. Otherwise, the question will arise: what heritage are we abandoning, and on what will we build our future?"