Winners of Journalistic Contest “Belarus and Russia. Step towards Future” Awarded in Moscow

A solemn award ceremony for the winners of the journalistic contest “Belarus and Russia. Step towards Future” took place in Moscow. It is already the third time that the contest is held under the aegis of the Union State Standing Committee.

A solemn award ceremony for the winners of the journalistic contest “Belarus and Russia. Step towards Future” took place in Moscow. It is already the third time that the contest is held under the aegis of the Union State Standing Committee.

As Irina Narkevich, Chairperson of the Social Policy and Information Support Department of the Standing Committee, noted, in 2007 the number of original publications covering the processes of the Union State formation increased by 20% in comparison with 2006 and made up more than 6 thousand articles. The total number of publications in 2007 including reprints amounted to 15 thousand.

47 articles chosen from more than 6 thousand Belarusian, Russian and Union mass media were nominated for the contest. By means of voting members of the contest commission decided 10 winners in 5 nominations, 3 winners in special nominations and two more works were awarded with Contest Prizes.

In nomination “Articles about culture, art, sport, public health and education in the Union State” the winners are Natalia Sharangovich (newspaper “Lad”) and Alexander Belyaev (“Novye Izvestiya”). In nomination “Articles about Union State Programmes” – Alexander Emelyanenkov (Union. Belarus-Russia), Maya Shendrik (“Respublika”). In the nomination which united analytic articles from political, business and economic subject areas the victory was gained by Svetlana Balysheva (journal “Belarus Economy”) and Alexander Bondar (journal “Union State”). The best articles about the neighbouring state were written by Vera Makevnina (“Volgogradskaya Pravda”) and Tatyana Marchenkova (“Rabochi Put”). The best articles containing constructive criticism were written by Alexander Chernyak (journal “Russian Federation Today”) and Nikolay Alekseev (“Soyuznoe Veche”).

The most active journalist covering Union State formation subject area is Elena Savenya, correspondent of Information Analysis Portal of the Union State (www.soyuz.by). Igor Gmyza (“Radio Russia”) was awarded for the interest taken in the Union State subject area. Besides that, Alexander Shevko, (journal “Belarus Economy”) was awarded for the active reporting about implementation of Union programmes.

The jury included Pavel Borodin, State Secretary of the Union State; Vasili Khrol, Deputy State Secretary; Sergey Shukhno, Yuri Dubinski, Albert Stepanov as well as Chairman of Russian Journalists’ Union Vsevolod Bogdanov, Dean of International Journalism Faculty of Moscow State Institute of International Affairs Yaroslav Skvortsov, First Deputy Chairman of Belarusian Journalists’ Union Grigori Sokolovski and President of “Mediasoyuz” of Russia Alexander Lyubimov