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In January, the Vitebsk region celebrates its 85th anniversary. Throughout the year, the region will host various public, cultural, and sports events, and special projects dedicated to this occasion will be implemented. These will be united by a special festive logo, developed with the participation of leading creative forces, including universities of the Vitebsk region.

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 government structures and civil society, cultural institutions and creative unions, educational institutions and media at the stage of developing a formalized document.

— Therefore, it was decided to hold events throughout the year, rather than limiting 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 has declared 2023, a jubilee year for our region, the Year of Peace and Creation. The modern Vitebsk region has become a highly developed industrial and agricultural region precisely thanks to the peaceful, creative labor 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 epicenter of most events for the 85th anniversary of the region, — noted Vyacheslav Durnov. Similar plans have been developed in each district.

Following the good tradition of commissioning significant facilities for memorable dates, which is supported in sovereign Belarus, the first event in the series of jubilee events will be the opening of a new dormitory building at the children's rehabilitation and health resort "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 Vitebsk region's special care for the future, where today's children will be the main creators.

Undoubtedly, the region's greatest asset is its people. Therefore, the central event of the jubilee year will be the honoring of the recipients of the honorary title "Person of the Year of Vitebsk Region". Along with the front-runners, veterans who laid the foundation for the modern development of Vitebsk Region will also be heroes of the celebration, emphasized Vyacheslav Durnov.

A series of events will be associated with the name of our renowned countryman Pyotr Masherov and dedicated to the 105th anniversary of the birth of the statesman and political figure. Several organizations will be involved in their organization, and Vitebsk State University, named after him, will be 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 related initiatives to preserve and pass on to future generations the memory of the traditions of creative, constructive labor of the residents of Vitebsk Region. This refers to the project "Our" - it is a kind of labor chronicle of the Dvina region. Media collectives will be engaged in its implementation. The heroes of the journalists' creative materials will be personalities - strong, successful people with rich experience, who have achieved a lot and made a significant contribution to the development of the northern region.

In general, the planned events will be designed for a diverse audience, so that everyone can discover new facets of Vitebsk Region. For example, specifically for the anniversary, tourist routes "A New Look at the Steps of History", "Through the Prism of Decades", "Steps of History Through Modernity" will be developed. For children, it is planned to release a coloring book "Vitebsk Region Through the Eyes of Children". Among the festive events are creative meetings and scientific conferences, public and cultural events, and sports competitions.

— The region's anniversary is always a significant event. It is an opportunity to once again remind of the importance of Vitebsk Region in the history of the country, to talk about the contribution that the region as a whole and each of its residents makes to the socio-economic and humanitarian development of Belarus, thereby stimulating all of us to good deeds and new achievements, — believes Vyacheslav Durnov.