In January, the Vitebsk region celebrates its 85th anniversary. Throughout the year, various public, cultural, entertainment, and sports events will be held in the region, and special projects dedicated to this event will be implemented. They will be united by a special festive logo, in the development of which leading creative forces, including the universities of the Vitebsk region, took part.
The large-scale plan, approved by the regional executive committee, includes about fifty events. According to Vyacheslav Durnov, Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee, the desire to worthily celebrate the anniversary of their native region and fill it with informal initiatives has already united representatives of state structures and civil society, cultural institutions and creative unions, educational institutions and mass media at the stage of developing a formalized document.
— Therefore, it was decided to hold events throughout the year, and not limit ourselves to January 15, when the Law on the Formation of the Vitebsk Region was adopted in 1938. It is particularly symbolic that the President of Belarus declared 2023, the jubilee year for our region, the Year of Peace and Creation. Modern Vitebsk region has become a highly developed industrial and agrarian region precisely thanks to the peaceful, creative work of thousands of our compatriots who have shown resilience, patriotism, and spiritual strength. Preserving the memory of the achievements of predecessors and chronicling the daily work of our contemporaries are at the epicentre of most events dedicated to the 85th anniversary of the region, — noted Vyacheslav Durnov. Similar plans have been developed in each district.
Following a good tradition of commissioning significant facilities for memorable dates, which is supported in sovereign Belarus, the first event in the series of anniversary events will be the opening of a new dormitory building at the children's rehabilitation and health resort center "Zhemchuzhina" (Lepel district) on January 13. The implementation of the project will allow the health resort to increase its economic efficiency, and will also have a positive impact on the development of the Lepel district as a whole. So, it is no coincidence that the event at the children's center will be held under the sign of the 85th anniversary of the region, which is also called the blue pearl of Belarus. A new page in the history of the sanatorium symbolizes the special care of the Vitebsk region for the future, where today's children will be the main creators.
Undoubtedly, the region's primary asset is its people. Therefore, the central event of the jubilee year will be the honouring of the recipients of the honorary title "Person of the Year of the Vitebsk Region". Alongside frontrunners, veterans who laid the foundation for the modern development of the Vitebsk Region will also be heroes of the celebration, as emphasised by Vyacheslav Durnov.
A series of events will be linked to the name of our renowned countryman Petr Masherov and dedicated to the 105th anniversary of the birth of this statesman and political figure. Several organisations will be involved in their organisation, with the Vitebsk State University, named after him, acting as the initiator and main driving force.
The Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee also drew attention to a new project with significant potential for accompanying initiatives aimed at preserving and passing down to future generations the memory of the traditions of creative, constructive labour of the residents of the Vitebsk Region. This refers to the "Our People" project, which is a unique labour chronicle of the Dzvina region. Its implementation will be undertaken by media collectives. The heroes of the journalists' creative materials will be individuals – strong, successful people with rich experience, who have achieved a great deal and made a significant contribution to the development of the northern region.
Overall, the planned events will be designed for a diverse audience, allowing everyone to discover new facets of the Vitebsk Region. For instance, specifically for the anniversary, tourist routes such as "A New Look at the Steps of History," "Through the Prism of Decades," and "Steps of History Through Modernity" will be developed. For children, a colouring book titled "Vitebsk Region Through the Eyes of Children" is planned. Among the festive events will be creative meetings and scientific conferences, public and cultural-mass activities, and sporting events.
— The region's anniversary is always a significant event. It is an opportunity to remind ourselves once again of the importance of the Vitebsk Region in the country's history, to talk about the contribution made by the region as a whole and by each of its residents to the socio-economic and humanitarian development of Belarus, thereby stimulating all of us towards good deeds and new achievements, — believes Vyacheslav Durnov.
Source: vitebsk-region.gov.by
