President keeps his promise

It can be asserted for sure that the President’s Address to the Belarusian People and Parliament has never taken the form of a monologue. The Head of State has always been attentive to people's suggestions and readily answered questions of concern. His recent Address was no exception. One of the meeting participants – an intern from the Vitebsk Regional Clinical Hospital, a member of the Youth Parliament at the National Assembly, Anna Kozlova – asked Aleksandr Lukashenko to make her long-standing dream come true: the lady wished to visit the Palace of Independence jointly with her family. Less than a week later, the Kozlov family were invited to the Palace – which is the holy of holies of the Belarusian statehood – for an excursion. They came as part of a delegation from the Vitebsk State Medical University.

It is not surprising that everyone – who has ever visited the Palace of Independence – dreams of coming here once again. The grandeur of its architectural forms, chic interiors and unique accuracy of the finishing work impress at first sight. However, many halls are already familiar for Anna: she has come here for the fourth time. The lady first visited the Palace as a participant of the New Year's ball, and then as a sightseer. Anna jokes: there is such an expression – to see Paris and die, but it is not her case. Hers is to see the Palace of Independence and die.

“For a long time, I dreamed of showing this beauty to my family, especially on such a significant day for my parents: their wedding anniversary. I even made this wish during the New Year countdown. When travelling to different countries, I saw many places but my visit to the Palace of Independence has become the best and most memorable moment. It is virtually impossible to enjoy its beauty alone. This is really a ‘people's’ Palace. Many thanks to the President for this place has become not just a venue for important events, but is also open to people who work for the benefit of the state,” Anna shared her emotions.

The young activist has been cherishing her dream for more than five years, while her parents – Dmitry Aleksandrovich and Inna Vladimirovna – received a great gift for their wedding anniversary. They failed to watch the broadcast of the Address to the end, so they missed their daughter’s question to Aleksandr Lukashenko. So they were much surprised to receive an invitation to a tour.

“Of course, that was an unexpected gift from our daughter and the Head of State,” Inna Vladimirovna said. “Aleksandr Lukashenko listened so paternally to her proposal to establish Father's Day in Belarus and promised to think it over. The issue of an excursion was promptly resolved as well. The Palace of Independence has astonished us with its splendour.”

Anna Kozlova is supported by her husband Pavel Yerashov, who has also come to the capital, in all her endeavours. He is also a doctor.

The delegation of more than 60 students and lecturers of the Vitebsk State Medical University were much impressed with what they saw. The tour was guided by the Press Secretary of the Head of State, Natalya Eismont – as is traditional. She said that many Belarusians continue coming to the Palace, and an increasing number of them want to visit it. The fact that this group has got a chance to come here within a short time is actually an interesting and bright moment in the excursion practice of the Palace of Independence.

“We watched the President's Address but no one expected that Anna would voice her request,” first-year students of the Vitebsk State Medical University, Yana Kaznovetskaya and Ksenia Kazinets, admit. “Just a few hours later, she told us that there was an opportunity to get here on an excursion. Of course, this is a very cool gift – especially for young people who are just starting their way into adulthood.”