The star of Lev Leshchenko lit up on the Alley of Laureates of the Special Prize of the President of Belarus in Vitebsk

July 12, Vitebsk / Olga Bogacheva - BELTA /. The star of Lev Leshchenko was lit today on the Alley of Laureates of the Special Prize of the President of Belarus "Through Art - to Peace and Mutual Understanding" at the XXI International Festival of Arts "Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk", BELTA correspondent reports. As emphasized at the ceremony by the Minister of Culture of Belarus Pavel Latushko, anything we say about this person would be too little. "He is a legendary figure for the cultures of our peoples, a person who, with his art, his amazing talent, unites peoples, erasing borders between states and people, uniting all of us with his creativity," the minister noted. He expressed confidence that for our peoples Lev Leshchenko will always be a landmark figure in art and a beloved artist. Warm words of congratulations to Lev Leshchenko were also expressed by the Chairman of the Vitebsk City Executive Committee Viktor Nikolaikin. "This is a momentous event. For several generations, people have been captivated by your songs. They are heard in our homes, at celebrations, on big stages because people truly love them," said the mayor of Vitebsk, adding that from today Lev Leshchenko is considered a resident of Vitebsk. "Today's event is a great honor for me," Lev Leshchenko said in turn. "We live in one space: we watch the same films, read the same literature, listen to the same music. I would like this integration, this connection between our peoples, to never be broken, so that we never forget all the good things that connect us." People's Artist of Russia Lev Leshchenko is the recipient of the Lenin Komsomol Prize, the Order of Friendship of Peoples, the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, IV degree, and other significant awards for his contribution to the development of art. The artist manages to successfully combine his intense creative activity with teaching: for more than 10 years he has been teaching at the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music, and many of Lev Leshchenko's students have become famous pop artists (Katya Lel, Marina Khlebnikova, Varvara, etc.). In previous years, during the festival, stars were unveiled on the alley in honor of People's Artist of the USSR Igor Luchenok, the ensemble "Pesniary" and its founder Vladimir Mulyavin, composers Andrei Petrov, Alexandra Pakhmutova, performers Alla Pugacheva, Sofia Rotaru, Valery Leontiev. The Special Prize of the President of the Republic of Belarus "Through Art - to Peace and Mutual Understanding" was established by a decree of the head of state in 2005. It is awarded to cultural and art figures, creative teams, 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-