Youth representatives took loyalty oath to state symbols on State Flag Square in Minsk
Representatives of the youth took loyalty oath to the state symbols on the State Flag Square in Minsk, BelTA reports
This year, over 5,300 people from all over the country have gathered for the solemn event in Minsk, with President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko also arriving to take part in the ceremony.
To the sound of the National Anthem, the soldiers of the honour guard company brought the National Flag (a 10x5m cloth) to the square, which turned out to be inside the living contour of the country created by the artistes who lined up to repeat the outlines of Belarus’ border.
Seven young boys and girls (representatives from each of the regions and the city of Minsk), as well as Hero of Belarus Marina Vasilevskaya, have taken loyalty oath to the state symbols on the State Flag Square. On this day, similar oath-taking rituals take place countrywide, with thousands of youth representatives swearing to remain faithful to state symbols.
Over the past few years, similar celebrations have been held annually on National Flag, Emblem and Anthem Day. The oath is administered in the Belarusian language alternately by each of the participants of the ritual. Representatives of the younger generation swear allegiance to the state symbols and the Motherland they symbolise; they swear to be worthy citizens, preserve peace and harmony on the Belarusian land and, if necessary, defend it as worthily and selflessly as their great-grandfathers during the Great Patriotic War; they swear to be true patriots all their lives and convey love for the Motherland to their descendants.
“This is a sign of deep respect for the past – the spiritual and moral values bequeathed to us by our ancestors. This is our sincere gratitude for the peaceful and happy present, ensured by the older generation of our contemporaries,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed in his speech. “However, a demonstration of readiness to take responsibility for the fate of one’s own country is the most important.”
After the solemn ceremony honouring the state symbols on the State Flag Square, the premiere performance of the patriotic song – You and I for Belarus – by the Serdtsa Trekh (Hearts of Three) band took place, followed by a festive concert, held with the participation of the winners of the republican youth review competition, entitled Our Hearts are Devoted to Our Native Land.
