Not by bread alone…

On November, 26 in Moscow there has been a panel discussion on the topic “Union State award in the sphere of literature and art: unity of Belarusian and Russian nations in the activity of Union State literature and art workers”. During the conference the participants discussed a range of questions about cooperation of the both countries in humanitarian sphere.

On November, 26 in Moscow there has been a panel discussion on the topic “Union State award in the sphere of literature and art: unity of Belarusian and Russian nations in the activity of Union State literature and art workers”. During the conference the participants discussed a range of questions about cooperation of the both countries in humanitarian sphere.

Thus according to the words of the first deputy chairman of the government of the Belarusian union of journalists Gregory Sokolovski it is necessary to develop humanitarian cooperation on a regular basis; moreover it is necessary to headline regularly this cooperation both in union and in national mass media. This will increase the very image of the award. But recently many contacts in this sphere have become one-time if not haphazard. And by estimates of the Union State Permanent Committee social policy and information support department some Russian departments attempt to reduce union premium rate and their number under the veil of the financial crisis. This trend will affect not only these awards and their importance but also Belarusian and Russian humanitarian cooperation in general. And it will affect also the implementation of many union creative plans of the cultural workers of Russia and Belarus.

Apart form the current problems the topical questions about cooperation of Belarusian and Russian creative unions have been considered. One of the major achievements of the panel discussion became the acquaintance of these unions with the history of Union State Award in the sphere of literature and art and with the regulations for the Award.

We would remind that Union State Award in the sphere of literature and art was given for the first time in 2002 and its laureates were prominent figures of Russian and Belarusian art. It is true that a lot has been done and still is being done for popularization of Union State idea and the brotherhood of Belarusian and Russian nations in humanitarian spheres. But many of the participants of the round table expressed their concern about some negative trends in these spheres. And first it is the emerged difficulties in the development of humanitarian contacts and insufficient information about the relevant Union State awards.