Posted:
26.08.2021 12:35:00
Shoulder to shoulder
Famous motor rallies ‘For United Belarus!’ have turned one year old and the patriots celebrated their birthday with another nationwide automobile event. The Head of State handed over a gift to the activists: a flag with his personal signature.
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A year has passed since the very moment when columns of cars with state flags drove onto the streets of the country. The movement of patriotic car enthusiasts advocating the idea of a united Belarus — having travelled thousands of kilometres of Belarusian roads — has grown into the Patriots of Belarus public movement during this time. Last Saturday, just like a year ago, a column of motorists left the parking lot of the Lebyazhy water park and repeated the route of the motor rally that started it all. Motorists drove through the very centre of Minsk: Pobediteley Avenue, Nezavisimosti Avenue and finished at the Mound of Glory.
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“The main achievement for us all is that today everyone goes to such an event with a smile,” emphasised Ms. Eismont.
Handing over a gift from the Head of State, the Press Secretary of the President recalled that Aleksandr Lukashenko is always close to the activists of this movement, “We will do our best to help our patriotic movement.”
Before the start of the motor rally — significant for the movement — Sergei Rachkovsky, who heads the Patriots of Belarus public association, said that the peculiarity of the first such event was the song, entitled Sanya Will Stay with Us, which was played on the radio throughout the rally. This gave strength to its participants and lifted their spirits. Motorists turned the sound to the maximum and opened the windows.
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The participants of the motor rally became a big friendly family. The movement has grown into a whole public association, which already unites about 1,000 people. Sergei Rachkovsky announced next week the start of a global public association project,
“We are faced with a difficult task: in three weeks to go around all the regional centres of the country. It will be a kind of unity relay.
Its route will finish near the Minsk-Arena. I will not disclose details, but it will be symbolic and interesting.”
Activists from all over the country gathered for the festive motor rally, e.g., blogger Anton Shabashov came from Grodno. “I try to be at all trips. I remember one of the most emotional ones when the rally arrived in Grodno. It was indescribable. Grodno residents were standing near the road, crying with happiness, as if the liberators had arrived,” recalls the blogger.
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As always, alongside the Belarusians, there are also foreigners at such rallies, for whom our country has become a second home. For instance, Hussein Najem came to Belarus from Lebanon several years ago,
“I have the flag of Belarus in my hands, because I am worried about this country.
I came here from Lebanon and I saw what happened there. Some people in Belarus today say that they want to try something new. But we tried it in Lebanon, thinking it would be good. However, it turned out that all this is deception. Everything is bad there now. Even once a week there is no electricity or water in the houses. Everything is bad because it was a game, and it was all done on purpose. I don’t want it to be the same in my native Belarus. Therefore, I come to this rally.”
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COMPETENTLY
Igor Lutsky, Deputy Head of the Belarus President Administration:
By Svetlana Isaenok
A year has passed since the very moment when columns of cars with state flags drove onto the streets of the country. The movement of patriotic car enthusiasts advocating the idea of a united Belarus — having travelled thousands of kilometres of Belarusian roads — has grown into the Patriots of Belarus public movement during this time. Last Saturday, just like a year ago, a column of motorists left the parking lot of the Lebyazhy water park and repeated the route of the motor rally that started it all. Motorists drove through the very centre of Minsk: Pobediteley Avenue, Nezavisimosti Avenue and finished at the Mound of Glory.
In honour of the birthday of the ‘For United Belarus!’ rally, President Aleksandr Lukashenko handed over to its participants the state flag with his personal signature and a handwritten phrase, reading ‘Patriots are for Belarus! You are already adults!’The flag was presented by the Press Secretary of the President Natalia Eismont. Addressing the participants of the rally, she quoted one of the active participants of the event, who admitted to her that a year ago she went to the rally for the first time with tears in her eyes, because it was scary and it wasn’t clear what would happen next.
“The main achievement for us all is that today everyone goes to such an event with a smile,” emphasised Ms. Eismont.
Handing over a gift from the Head of State, the Press Secretary of the President recalled that Aleksandr Lukashenko is always close to the activists of this movement, “We will do our best to help our patriotic movement.”
Before the start of the motor rally — significant for the movement — Sergei Rachkovsky, who heads the Patriots of Belarus public association, said that the peculiarity of the first such event was the song, entitled Sanya Will Stay with Us, which was played on the radio throughout the rally. This gave strength to its participants and lifted their spirits. Motorists turned the sound to the maximum and opened the windows.
The participants of the motor rally became a big friendly family. The movement has grown into a whole public association, which already unites about 1,000 people. Sergei Rachkovsky announced next week the start of a global public association project,
“We are faced with a difficult task: in three weeks to go around all the regional centres of the country. It will be a kind of unity relay.
Its route will finish near the Minsk-Arena. I will not disclose details, but it will be symbolic and interesting.”
Activists from all over the country gathered for the festive motor rally, e.g., blogger Anton Shabashov came from Grodno. “I try to be at all trips. I remember one of the most emotional ones when the rally arrived in Grodno. It was indescribable. Grodno residents were standing near the road, crying with happiness, as if the liberators had arrived,” recalls the blogger.
As always, alongside the Belarusians, there are also foreigners at such rallies, for whom our country has become a second home. For instance, Hussein Najem came to Belarus from Lebanon several years ago,
“I have the flag of Belarus in my hands, because I am worried about this country.
I came here from Lebanon and I saw what happened there. Some people in Belarus today say that they want to try something new. But we tried it in Lebanon, thinking it would be good. However, it turned out that all this is deception. Everything is bad there now. Even once a week there is no electricity or water in the houses. Everything is bad because it was a game, and it was all done on purpose. I don’t want it to be the same in my native Belarus. Therefore, I come to this rally.”
COMPETENTLY
Igor Lutsky, Deputy Head of the Belarus President Administration:
Last year was very important for us. We were able to defend the country and preserve its sovereignty. All this is thanks to such people who care for their country with their heart and soul. It’s good that there are people who are not passive, who actively express their civic position. Today nobody needs to explain what a motor rally is. Everyone knows. In my opinion, it’s necessary to develop and support civil initiatives. I’m sure that all constructive principles that come from the heart and soul will always be supported by the state and the President.
By Svetlana Isaenok
