The Alley of Laureates of the Special Prize of the President of Belarus has opened in festival Vitebsk

July 10, Vitebsk / Olga Bogacheva - BELTA /. The Alley of Laureates of the Special Prize of the President of the Republic of Belarus "Through Art - to Peace and Mutual Understanding" was solemnly opened today at the XVIII International Festival of Arts "Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk", a BELTA correspondent reports. As the Minister of Culture of Belarus Pavel Latushko noted during the solemn opening of the alley, "the festival 'Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk' is a contribution to world culture, and today's event is a tribute to all artists and cultural figures who have contributed to the development of good relations between people, between nations." In the near future, representatives of the Belarusian pop music and culture will also appear on this alley, the minister is convinced. Meanwhile, all attention of numerous media representatives and the public was focused on the main hero of this event - Valery Leontiev, who became the recipient of the Special Prize of the President of the Republic of Belarus "Through Art to Peace and Mutual Understanding" this year (the award will be presented to the artist today during the opening concert of the forum). The People's Artist of Russia was genuinely happy and touched by the warm welcome given to him by the entire assembled audience. "I am charmed by the wave of attention that I felt from the moment of arrival. It did not weaken during the subsequent time, and now I would like to extend the 30 minutes allotted by protocol for this wonderful event as much as possible, it is very pleasant when you are 'rolled into asphalt'," admitted Valery Yakovlevich at the ceremony of opening his star in the Alley of Fame. The artist also emphasized that "Slavianski Bazaar" has long turned into a national song festival. "When late at night after my performance I drive through the city to the hotel and see a huge number of people celebrating, I am simply amazed: this does not happen after an ordinary pop concert! This happens only during a real national holiday, which 'Slavianski Bazaar' has become," said Valery Leontiev. He wished all participants and guests of the festival happiness, so that this cultural event would bring everyone closer together, and people would become kinder to each other. After the official part, a large army of fans did not let their idol go for a long time, demanding a little attention and a cherished autograph. The alley, clearly visible from all observation decks, is designed in the ceremonial zone of the Summer Amphitheater. Its entrance is marked by a triumphal arch. Not far from it, there is a pedestal with an enlarged 80-centimeter copy of a statuette of a muse with a wreath, which is presented to all laureates. The decorative element of the alley is made of polished granite squares with the festival's symbol - a cornflower, the name of the laureate, and the year the award was presented. So far, five personalized plates have been laid on the alley - according to the number of recipients. Thus, the first laureate of the prize in 2005 was the Russian composer Andrei Petrov. In 2006, the award was given to Alla Pugacheva, in 2007 - Sofia Rotaru, in 2008 - Alexandra Pakhmutova, and in 2009 - Valery Leontiev. The award was established by a decree of the head of state in 2005. It is awarded to cultural and art figures, creative groups, and organizations that have made a significant contribution to strengthening international cultural cooperation, promoting achievements and examples of world artistic culture based on humanistic ideals and values. -0-