Culture workers of the region spoke about new creative projects at a meeting in Lepel
By the way, the Lepel School of Arts was awarded the regional prize for creative achievements in the sphere of culture and art in 2019. Also recognized as the best were the Alexander Pushkin Orsha Central Library, the Senno Children's Library, the Verkhovskaya Rural Library of the Beshenkovichi Centralized Library System, the Glubokoye Historical and Ethnographic Museum, the Tolochin and Verkhnedvinsk District Centers of Culture and Folk Art, the Dokshitsy District House of Crafts, the Khodtsevsky Rural House of Culture of the Senno District, and the Yunkovsky House of Culture of the Postavy District.
All winners presented their achievements before discussing the year's results. Khodtsevsky and Yunkovsky cooks treated guests to national cuisine dishes, Dokshitsy craftspeople shared secrets of making mechanical wooden toys and weaving from willow, and Tolochin cultural workers demonstrated awards for the best project of the year – the "Travel around Sineokaya" tourist film competition. By the stand of the Orsha library, guests were greeted by Alexander Pushkin and his wife, who invited them to attend "Unboring Evenings" at the temple of books.
Other cultural institutions also showcased what surprises they offer their visitors. For example, Senno librarians created the "Petrushka" book theater and organize open-air exhibitions. The Glubokoye Historical and Ethnographic Museum brought virtual reality glasses and conducted a tour of the district's attractions. According to the museum director Elena Myadelets, the use of modern technologies has significantly increased the number of visitors. In the two years since the virtual tour hall was established, it has been visited by 5,000 people. Educational bike marathons are also popular. For instance, "To Paris by Bicycle" includes visits to places associated with the War of 1812 and a stop in the village of Paris.
In total, there are 934 cultural organizations in the Vitebsk region, the majority of which are libraries and clubs.
Last year, new institutions joined this list: the Plino Rural Club in the Ushachi district, the Babinichi Rural Library-Club, and the Center for Educational, Cultural, and Social Services in the agro-town of Borzodovka, Orsha district.
Petr Podgursky, Head of the Culture Department of the Regional Executive Committee, noted that over 100,000 events were held in 2019, including 11 international, 3 republican, and over 40 regional festivals and celebrations, which contributed to the development of artistic creativity of ensembles, the improvement of performance skills, and the spiritual revival of society.
The year was also rich in new projects. The regional plein air painting event "Paradise Garden" dedicated to the "malyavanka" art was held for the first time. (By the way, the traditional art of painted carpets is included in the State List of Intangible Historical and Cultural Values of the Republic of Belarus).
Significant events in the cultural sphere included the plein air event of decorative and applied arts and the potters' competition "Glinа spyae" in the urban settlement of Kopys, Orsha district, the regional festival of library book theaters and puppet theaters "Magic Ramp," and the Christmas celebration "Light of the Bethlehem Star" in Gorodok. The circus arts competition "Arena-2019," which brought together ensembles from different regions of Belarus and Russia in Orsha, received republican status.
2019 marked the 120th anniversary of one of the oldest libraries in the republic – the Orsha Library named after Alexander Pushkin. Libraries in Polotsk, Shumilino, Liozno, and Vitebsk celebrated their centenary, the regional library celebrated its 90th anniversary, and the regional methodological center for folk art celebrated its 80th anniversary.
Museum workers are striving to diversify their activities and seek new ways to present collections. They are doing this quite successfully, which is noted not only by visitors, whose numbers have significantly increased, but also by specialists. At the IV National Forum "Museums of Belarus," the National Polotsk Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve was awarded a first-degree diploma in the nomination "For the Best Cultural and Educational Program," and the director of the cultural institution, Tamara Dzhumantaeva, received a special forum award in the nomination "For Loyalty to the Profession."
The Vitebsk Center for Modern Art received a special jury diploma, and its branch, the Museum of the History of Vitebsk People's Art School, became a laureate of the republican competition "Discover Belarus" and was also included in the top three museums of the year according to The Art Newspaper Russia.
The Vitebsk Center for Modern Art received a special prize from the President of Belarus for outstanding achievements in the field of professional art, folk, and amateur artistic creativity.
Rural clubs and houses of culture perform a special task. On average, each club institution hosts over 250 events per year. Vitebsk and Novopolotsk have almost twice as many, while Liozno has the lowest number.
The Vitebsk region is rich in talent. This is evidenced by the fact that the region has 17 Honored Amateur Collectives of the Republic of Belarus, 567 folk and exemplary ones. Thirteen elements of our region have been granted the status of intangible historical and cultural values of the Republic of Belarus.
Particular attention was paid to problems at the meeting of representatives of the cultural sector. One of these problems is the insufficient computerization of libraries, a shortage of professional staff, and the inability to earn money and find sponsors. Currently, the share of extra-budgetary (own) funds in the total volume of financing for state cultural organizations is slightly over 21%. The task is to increase this figure, which is quite achievable.
This was also emphasized by the Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee, Vladimir Penin, who stressed that a modern head of a cultural institution must be a competent manager, able to count money. It is also important to develop a plan for the institution's development. Not a plan of events, Vladimir Petrovich clarified, but a vision of the future, including the economic one.