VITEBSK, 13 July (BelTA) – President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko presented a special award “Through art to peace and understanding” to People’s Artist of Russia Lev Leshchenko at the opening ceremony of the 21st International Arts Festival Slavonic Bazaar in Vitebsk on 12 July, BelTA has learnt. The head of state noted that this award became a good tradition of the festival. “It grew so prestigious that turned into a kind of Oscar for musicians with very tough competition to get it,” the President said. People’s Artist of Russia Lev Leshchenko emphasized that he is very happy and proud to get this high award. “I love Belarus, Belarusian people. Although today we live in different states, we still are in the same cultural space – we sing the same beautiful songs, watch the same movies, read the same books and go along the same path. I want this path never to end,” he said. The singer thanked the Belarusian President for preserving the one and only “brilliant Vitebsk festival” that unites the brotherly Slavonic nations. The special award “Through art to peace and understanding” is bestowed upon cultural figures, groups and organizations that made a considerable contribution to promotion of international cultural cooperation and popularization of world art based on humanistic ideas and values. In the past years the award was presented to Alla Pugacheva, Sofia Rotaru, Alexandra Pakhmutova, Valery Leontiev, Pesnyary, and Igor Luchenok. The first one to receive the award in 2005 was Russian composer Andrei Petrov. Since 2009, the laureates of the award have been honored on Star Alley. The Union State Prizes in Literature and Art were awarded to People’s Artist of Belarus Georgy Poplavsky and Russian poet Gleb Gorbovsky “for works of literature and art that make a great contribution to strengthening brotherhood, friendship and cooperation between the Union State member states”. Alexander Lukashenko wished laureates inspiration and new successes.

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