Aleksandr Lukashenko honors outstanding Belarusians with state awards

Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko presented state awards to Belarusians who distinguished themselves in various fields of expertise.

The ceremony was held in the Palace of Independence on 7 May. The head of state emphasized that the ceremony took place ahead of Victory Day, the most important holiday for Belarusians.

According to him, these days the ceremony honoring the best workers of the country is filled with special meaning, because the frontline feat of Soviet soldiers would have been impossible without the huge work performed in the rear and especially after the war. 

“We must always remember this and pass on these memories to the next generations. After all, who were those people whom we call home-front workers today? These were mainly women, the elderly and teenagers. It was them who performed all hard work in the fields and factories,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

He stressed that people of the war generation evacuated thousands of factories to the east of the country and set up production of shells, tanks, and aircraft in a short time. “They literally lived in the workshops. They worked really hard to ensure that our army was armed, fed, and clothed,” the president said. 

Aleksandr Lukashenko recalled that after the war the Western press predicted that the Soviet Union would take at least a quarter of a century to recover fully. "But our ancestors built cities and villages more beautiful than they were before in just two five-year periods.  They also built factories and factories, that you now represent and that Belarus is proud of: BelAZ, MTZ, Minsk Motor Plant, Gomselmash. In our time we modernized them, upgraded their equipment and applied new technologies, but the foundations and traditions were laid by our fathers and grandfathers. They have established the scientific traditions that other countries cannot repeat today," the Belarusian leader noted.

"In the run-up to Victory Day I will say again: Honor and praise to all war and labor veterans! We bow low before frontline and labor feats," the head of state said.

There are some analogies between the events of wartime and the challenges that Belarus is facing now, the president believes. However, then the enemy was obvious, visible, and now the situation is more complicated, because Belarus has to resist the hidden forces. “Today we do not see them, they are deeply hidden and act using Jesuit methods, which we sometimes do not know. We have to learn as we go,” the president said. “Amid the global pandemic, they tried to insert another virus in our society, namely the virus of self-destruction. However, the majority of Belarusians understand that they are descendants of the heroic generation. No one will ever deny us the right to live and work in our country freely,” the president said.

The head of state thanked heads of labor collectives for quickly figuring out the plans of the destructive forces on Belarus. “We have drawn conclusions. The government has always relied and will continue relying on working people: factory workers, farmers, engineers, and managers, everyone who is engaged in the real sector of the economy,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed.

The president reiterated that the Belarusian statehood, the country’s successful development, and the nations’ prosperity depend on incessant creative labor for the benefit of the society. “Only hard work can ensure our independence and sovereignty. We sometimes talk about these concepts without realizing their essence and value,” the president said. “Every Belarusian who wants to achieve professional success should understand this fundamental truth, just like you do. You are people who have built and created their whole life.”

A traditional award ceremony in the Palace of Independence continued in an unusual manner today. Vladimir Malinovsky, head of the private agricultural enterprise Diana from Shklov District, Mogilev Oblast, was one of the awardees. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko has known him for years. After the award ceremony and after talking to reporters Aleksandr Lukashenko invited Vladimir Malinovsky to step into his office.

Vladimir Malinovsky’s wife Svetlana was also invited to the meeting with the head of state. She admitted she had not expected that to happen.

The head of state has known the family for a long time since he and Vladimir Malinovsky worked together before Aleksandr Lukashenko became the president.

By the way, it was not the first meeting since then. Aleksandr Lukashenko often visits the area he grew up in and asks about the state of affairs at local enterprises. He visited the private agricultural enterprise Diana during one of those trips several years ago.

Today Aleksandr Lukashenko congratulated Vladimir Malinovsky on winning the award. He said: “Congratulations! I envy you. I always say: they get orders and medals, they become heroes, but I will never get such an award. Because the president cannot award himself.”

The heart-to-heart conversation lasted for more than one hour. A photo in memory of the meeting was taken.