The special award of the President of Belarus will be presented to Valery Leontiev

July 10, Vitebsk /Corr.BELTA/. The special prize of the President of the Republic of Belarus "Through Art to Peace and Mutual Understanding" will be awarded to Valery Leontiev today at the grand opening ceremony of "Slavianski Bazaar". This was announced at a press conference in Vitebsk by the Minister of Culture of Belarus, Pavel Latushko, reports BELTA correspondent. According to the Minister of Culture, the alley of laureates of the special prize of the President will be opened in Vitebsk today. "We hope that in the near future, representatives of Belarusian pop music and art, who have made a significant contribution to the culture of Slavic peoples, will also be honored with this award," he said. This year, as part of the festival in Vitebsk, a unique exhibition "One Hundred Works by Marc Chagall" will be held. These priceless etchings will be donated to Belarus by the Moscow independent charitable foundation "Triumph - New Century". Also in Vitebsk, there will be a solemn handover of seven copies of paintings by Ilya Repin. Pavel Latushko noted that "Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk" is the country's main festival celebration, as well as one of the largest cultural projects in Europe. He particularly emphasized the importance of the festival's support by the President of Belarus. The Minister of Culture also expressed gratitude to all government bodies, Vitebsk authorities, the "Vitebsk" cultural center, and everyone involved in organizing the festival events. -0-