Minister: Belarus, China find common ground in the field of culture
The northernmost region of Belarus will become the literary capital of the country in early September.
People of all ages and professions will gather here for the Days of Belarusian Written Language, with festive events scheduled for September 2 and 3. As a hospitable and responsible host, Gorodok has been diligently preparing to receive guests: schools, kindergartens, the House of Crafts, the library, residential buildings, and streets have been renovated. The work is nearing completion, especially since some items were added to the list during the process (due to saved funds). Meanwhile, artisans continue to create creative surprises, buildings are acquiring a fresh look thanks to huge murals, and the city park is being enriched with new objects. A name for it will soon be chosen after public discussion of ideas. Correspondents observed how majestic and meaningful sculptures are emerging from stone on one of the streets, masters are replenishing entire lines of souvenirs, and the city as a whole is being transformed.
Handmade souvenir compliments. What can be found at the craft stalls
Work is in full swing in almost every corner of Gorodok, but the main preparations are underway in the center. Here, within walking distance, are the main venues that will host the events of the Day of Belarusian Written Language, and where skilled artisans are with special care and love creating souvenir compliments for guests and participants of the grand celebration. Pottery, ceramics, weaving, willow and straw weaving – they have something to show and be proud of, as many traditions originated in this land in ancient times. Today, they are carefully passed on to the youth.
We peek into the Gorodok House of Crafts and Folklore – every room is strewn with works. "We are making baskets, coasters, magnets, bells, mugs, pots, plates with Belarusian symbols, ears of corn," says Marina Gushcho, head of the House of Crafts, introducing the assortment. "Here we have sets of napkins, openwork embroidered towels, panels with straw appliqué, souvenir dolls."
She stops at a panel made of wood, fabric, ceramic, and other elements, explaining that the idea had been around for a long time. "I am a weaver, so I wanted to synthesize weaving with something. In my weaving, I use linen, straw, rush - all natural materials. Naturally, wood and ceramics fit in here - they are also warm, and they will look very good together," she says. According to the head, all souvenirs for the holiday of writing were selected with history in mind: they plan to present items that were used in the town centuries ago.
Next to the miniature gifts on a large table lies a wooden book with a decorative insert - an image of Francysk Skaryna. It is still being finalized to be solemnly presented to the host of the Day of Belarusian Written Language in 2024 - Ivacevichi. As Marina Hushcha shares, the image of the Belarusian first printer was initially chased on copper and then cast.
"Belarusian Gold" and an Intermediary Between Earth and Bread
Townspeople are learning the craft of willow weaving in the "Lozovik" club, located in the adjacent room. Its head, Vasily Simankovich, speaks with great enthusiasm and thoughtfulness about willow weaving in Horadok and the district. The master possesses the traditional spiral weaving technique, which is included in the list of intangible cultural heritage of Belarus (a total of 6 local traditions have the status of intangible cultural value).
"In the Horadok district, spiral weaving has been very widespread since ancient times because it is an energy-saving technology for storing food and other products (seeds for sowing, cereals, smoked goods). They were placed inside, covered with a lid, and the item served as a thermos: approximately constant humidity and temperature. There were no sharp fluctuations - the products were well preserved. Such items were practically in the pantry of every family, and initially, they were woven from roots, with willow more often used for transportation. In Belarus, this has been the case for centuries. And in general, straw is our Belarusian gold. There is also a philosophical subtext: straw is an intermediary between the earth and bread. And Belarusians actively used it even as a roofing material, wove hats, made shoes, and beehives," says Vasily Simankovich.
The master notes that spiral weaving is more labor-intensive than ordinary wickerwork. The work requires more time: in addition to processing straw, the willow strip is prepared separately, and only then comes the weaving process itself. "All the club members help me," he shares. "Children, pensioners, and people with disabilities attend the clubs, coming together with other groups. Of course, we want this intangible cultural heritage – spiral weaving – to be represented in our souvenir products. We have prepared these small bowls, which will hold ceramic items (jugs, mugs), and together they will make a gift. We are also creating collections of spiral weaving by club members. And I am replenishing the collection so that more guests can get acquainted with this craft."
"Promoting Our Traditions". A Belarusian Brand by Touch and Taste
About 150 souvenir dolls are made in the "Folk Costume" club. Belarusian beauties will be dressed in national attire, but without faces, as was customary in ancient times. Back then, dolls were not toys but served as amulets. "They were made without faces because it was believed that evil spirits could enter the doll through the face and harm a person. There were many different types of dolls: the traveler doll was given for a journey, the herbalist doll healed, helped with sleep, and drove away evil spirits from infants. Now, dolls have become souvenirs and are simply interior decorations," explains Elena Orlova, the head of the creative association.
In addition to dolls, she sews soft horses slightly larger than a palm. As in olden times, they have round buttons on their legs – analogous to rocking horses, but in miniature. Those who wish can pack these items in specially sewn linen bags – they will also be available for sale during the holiday. "As we are a House of Crafts, we promote our traditions so that people do not forget how our ancestors dressed. We create such souvenirs specifically in folk costumes and with our symbolism and embroidery. We try to recreate the elements as they were made before," explains Elena Orlova. "We have already made about 50 large dolls, and there are also medium and small ones – there will be an impressive number of those as well."
The House of Crafts, educational institutions of Gorodok, and the Territorial Center for Social Services for the Population will release souvenir collections for the beginning of September. Everyone is involved in production: "We just returned from the Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk, where all our products were sold out. And now we have to replenish our stock at a rapid pace," the craftspeople explain with a smile.
People of silver age and with disabilities are engaged in creating their handmade product collections at different times and days. For them, 27 hobby clubs and 5 labor workshops operate at the territorial center's department. Festive stalls will be complemented by "bags of happiness," shoppers with cornflowers, and the inscription "Gorodok-2023." Guests will also be offered bed linen and bread of their own production from the "Dobry Khleb" (Good Bread) workshop opened last year. "We bake two types of bread: unleavened sourdough and 'Gorodoksky.' For now, we are learning and making it for our own needs," they say at the center. "And in the future, we plan to sell it. We want to organize a tasting for the Day of Writing."
According to the staff, people with disabilities enjoy learning new directions, and this is an important aspect of vocational rehabilitation.
By the way, the concept of each product has been carefully thought out here. The focus is on ecological materials. "We are preparing thoroughly for the Day of Writing. We are making many items from eco-materials on the theme of 'Taras on Parnassus.' Hats, bast shoes-amulets, horseshoe-shaped amulets, dolls, and keychains in the shape of books – all in Belarusian style. We make brooches and earrings from genuine leather and turkey feathers. All this is in the project, and we hope to finish it by the holiday. We will have herbal sachets, decorative pillows, and kitchen mittens. Everything is practical and will be used in everyday life. I also plan to paint acrylic pictures, and we will definitely present these items on the Day of Writing. Hosting such a holiday is very exciting, a huge responsibility for our city," clarifies the head of the club, Tatiana Pavlenok.
"There will be beauty." Who is behind the transformation of Gorodok
The city park next to the administration building has been particularly crowded in recent days. However, for now, it's more builders than tourists. Nearby, tiles were being relaid, and in the center of the park, a foundation was being prepared for a small architectural form – a large sculpture of an alphabet book will be installed here. Forged figures will be installed in some locations, says Alexey Kuzmich, head of housing and communal services at the Gorodok Boiler and Heating Networks Enterprise. The fountain will become shallower and will have a fence, making it safer for visitors.
Work is progressing from early morning until late at night, without days off. "We have very little time, and we have a lot of tasks," clarifies Alexey Kuzmich. "There will be significant visual changes. We will also install new forged benches in the park. All of this has been purchased and is waiting for its time."
The enterprise is the main contractor for the city's improvement works. All efforts are currently focused on this, as everything needs to be completed by August 15th. Therefore, about 200 employees of the organization are involved in the improvement of all facilities. Planned works are being carried out in parallel.
"Firstly, we are carrying out current repairs: 37 buildings were planned for the Day of Writing, and only a little is left. This includes park improvements, tiling on Sovetskaya Street, repair work at the 'Immortality' memorial complex, and we are also engaged in landscaping," he lists. "And people are working on cleaning all the tiles and paths from any small vegetation. In total, about Br900 thousand has been allocated for maintenance and improvement for the year. Asphalt concrete is also being laid on Burlyga, Marx, and Vokzalnaya streets. Street Valieva is being covered with asphalt granulate. The issue of streets Molodezhnaya and Tolkacheva is being worked on. Roughly speaking, two to three days of work are allocated for a street."
As a resident of the city, Alexey Kuzmich is particularly pleased to witness its transformation. "Any positive changes are welcome. Gorodok is a compact city, everyone knows each other here. It will be beautiful, and in the future, we will only need to maintain cleanliness and order," he assures.
"A Collective Image of My Observations." Students on the Stone Figures That Will Adorn the Park of Gorodok
For almost a month, second and third-year students of the Belarusian State Academy of Arts have been staying in Gorodok. Future creators have been honored with the task of creating sculptures for the park during their summer practice. They say the assignment is both responsible and pleasant, as their stone works will adorn the local landscape for many years to come. "There are 7 of us here, six are making figures on the courts, and one is creating a composition in the form of letters from fiber concrete elsewhere," shares Anastasia Sipach. "Working with stone requires great care. One wrong move, and it can crack; I can already see cracks appearing on my stone. But this is the type of stone I got initially; in general, working with stone is the easiest. If I had to choose between wood and metal, stone is by far the most pleasant and comfortable."
Initially, each of the young artists prepared several sketches related to Belarus and the Day of Writing. The commission approved the most interesting ideas. A handshake between two people as a symbol of agreement, the "Zubr" (Bison) composition, a flat stone with the words "Gorodok" and "Belarus" carved on both sides, and a collective image of a prince and a chronicler – this series of figures will delight residents and visitors.
"This depicts a bird in hands – a very common theme," says a student about her sculpture. "It's a symbol of faith, of something new – a young bird in old, withered hands. It will be a symbolic monument where everyone will see something of their own. It's simply a collective image born from my observations. I actually really enjoy this kind of practice. I'm glad I ended up here. At a young age, I was fortunate enough to participate in such an event, and my work will stand here for decades. By the way, I plan to come here for the Belarusian Written Language Day."
Third-year student Anton Gursky will present Gorodok with a sculpture of a chronicler. It will be a collective image. "The figure is a symbol of my understanding of Belarusian literature and history. The sculpture is three-dimensional, round, and should be viewed from all sides. And this is a sketch," he points to a miniature placed on a stone. "To work with stone, you need willpower and patience; it's difficult, but it's worth it. I'm glad I could also participate, contribute my share, a piece of my thinking, my art."
According to the future sculptor, he had never participated in such large-scale projects before, which made it even more interesting to get involved. He says they were just not very lucky with the weather - during this period, Horadok turned out to be "quite a stormy city." The students experienced both downpours and scorching sun. Due to weather conditions, among other things, the work is progressing slower than desired.
The figures are planned to be moved to the park on August 11, where special podiums have been prepared for them.
Residents of the small town of Horadok, with a population of just over 11.5 thousand people, are confident that the region will surely appeal even to the most meticulous tourist. They are especially proud of the natural wealth, as forests occupy more than 44% of the district's territory, and numerous lakes, 162 of them, adorn the landscapes. Some of them will be offered to guests of the Day of Belarusian Written Language, as tourist routes have been specially updated for the holiday.
"We have developed 29 tourist routes for various types of tourism: cultural and educational, religious, gastronomic, military-historical, and nostalgic routes. They differ in means of transportation, for example, walking, water, cycling, and car routes. We offer animation programs, quests, and master classes at the House of Crafts and Folklore. We will offer six routes to tourists during the holiday itself, but this does not mean that the others will not be available," clarified Alla Grigoryeva, chief specialist of the sports and tourism sector of the Horadok District Executive Committee.
The main route will be related to the author of the poem "Taras on Parnassus," the writer Konstantin Verenitsyn, titled "Along Verenitsyn's Lands." It starts from Horadok and covers many key points of the district: memorial signs near the museum, a monument to the poem's character in the town square, and then tourists head to the writer's native places - the village of Ostrovlyane. "We have updated this route, including tourist attractions along the way, for example, our famous natural monument - the Giant Oak," she added. "In addition, attractions can be viewed at the Losvido tourist and recreational complex. The cultural organizer of the TRK can guide you along the famous 'Napoleon's Trail' - also a quite interesting and popular route, as it runs along Lake Losvido."
The total length of the round trip route is 35 km and, depending on the mode of transport, takes 3 to 5 hours. Among other options for visitors is water rafting on the lakes. The 9 km route is called "Pearls of Gorodok" and passes through three lakes: Lugovoye, Orekhovoye, and Shcherbakovskoye, starting from the ski-roller track. "The lakes themselves are located in a picturesque place - the Vorobyovy Gory tract, which is also known not only for its sports facilities but also for its cultural objects," emphasizes Alla Grigoryeva. "On the route, there is the 'Pantheon of Memory' memorial complex, and on the island between two lakes, there is the Snegurochka's residence, where our famous festivals 'Taras on Parnassus' and 'Mara Gurmana' and theatrical programs are held."
The Gorodok district will welcome guests with a pure and open heart and will show its hospitality to the fullest, assures the Chairman of the District Executive Committee, Irina Polyakova. According to her, thanks to the celebration of the Day of Belarusian Written Language, the town has had the opportunity to become even more attractive to residents and guests. "We are preparing to hold the holiday at the highest, most dignified level. And we want to show our important unique feature," she clarified. "And for this, we are making every effort."