Youth from Belarus, Russia, and Latvia will gather at the "Be-La-Rus" camp on July 30

July 10, Minsk / Yulia Vanina - BELTA /. For the 18th time, young people from three countries will gather at the Mound of Friendship on the border of Belarus, Russia, and Latvia - from July 30 to August 2, the international camp "Be-La-Rus" will be held in the Verkhnedvinsk district of the Vitebsk region. This was announced to a BELTA correspondent by the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the BRSM, Yuri Krivodubsky. Every year, one of the youth organizations of the three countries hosts the camp - the Belarusian Republican Youth Union, the Russian Union of Youth, or the Union for Youth Progress of Latvia. This year, the Latvian side is organizing all the events. The camp will feature sports competitions in football, volleyball, tug-of-war, kettlebell lifting, and a sports and tourism relay race, as well as creative contests "Anti-crisis chastushki" and "Kreativ.LV.RU.BY". Memorable events will also include the initiation of newcomers with oak branches, the "Miss and Mister Camp 'Be-La-Rus'" contests, extravagant carols from Latvian friends, "Peace Pipe", "Orlyonok" circle, and much more. "Before the collapse of the USSR, the highlight of the camp was that its participants could swim in the river on Latvian territory, have lunch in Russia, and participate in an interesting youth event in Belarus," noted Yuri Krivodubsky. "Now, from the Mound of Friendship, one can only observe the state borders. But despite everything, at the junction of the three roads, multilingual voices, understandable to each of us, and melodies of songs are still heard." The Mound of Friendship was built in 1959 on the border of the three states in memory of the combat cooperation of partisans from Belarus, Russia, and Latvia. Three alleys run from the mound: birches are planted towards Belarus, maples towards Russia, and lindens towards Latvia. An oak tree grows at the top of the mound, symbolizing the good-neighborly relations of the three nations. -0-