VITEBSK, 13 July (BelTA) – Olympic Games are politicized and flawed, President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said at the opening ceremony of the 21st International Arts Festival Slavonic Bazaar in Vitebsk on 12 July, BelTA has learnt. The head of state compared Slavonic Bazaar to Olympic Games. “Due to the great number of participants and cultural events, Slavonic Bazaar can be called summer cultural Olympics. It supports the major Olympic principle: art, just like sport, is above politics. The only things you see on stage are fair competition and sincere admiration of talented people regardless of their nationality, religion or skin color,” the President said. “Olympic Games dramatically lag behind our Slavonic Bazaar. They are politicized and badly flawed, while Slavonic Bazaar is an island of freethinking and independence, there are many things one can learn from it,” the head of state said. According to the President, it is the reason why Slavonic Bazaar has turned into one of Europe’s most popular springboards for young artists. “People believe that those artists whose first success came on Vitebsk stage will certainly become a star. Taisia Pavalii, Ruslana, Alena Lanskaya are cases in point,” the President said. Alexander Lukashenko noted that after more than 20 years since establishment the festival has no room for complacency, it is moving forward and opening new dimensions of modern art.

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