Lukashenko on Alexandria Gathers Friends Festival: people drawn here by call of their hearts

It is not enough to know and remember traditions, they must become part of modern history – as stated by President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko at the Kupala Night Festival (Alexandria Gathers Friends) on July 6th

The President stressed that today, together with Belarusians, the Kupala Night holiday is being celebrated by guests from more than ten countries of the world, “We haven’t planned such a large scale, but people came here on their own. This is the call of their hearts. This is the pursuit of true values, where guests are sincerely welcome, where the pulse of a living creative force beats. However, the most important is that we have revived the traditions of our ancestors. We’re developing our native national culture. It’s not enough to know and remember these traditions, they must become part of modern history.”

photo: www.president.gov.by

According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, our children should see how we ourselves take care of what has been created for centuries.

“They should absorb the idea that everything that is made with one’s own hands — a wicker basket, an earthenware jug, or an embroidered towel — is always beautiful, relevant and fashionable. Folk music is a song of the Slavic soul. This is our song. Alexandria has truly become the centre of the revival of ancient ritual and craft traditions. This is the only way to preserve our own identity: by continuing the thousand-year history of the East Slavic peoples. Knowledge of this history and understanding of the philosophy of native culture are our national treasure. We must preserve it if we want to be a nation. This is the basis of the foundations of the Belarusian statehood.”