The Chairman of the Slutsk District Executive Committee told how the status of the cultural capital of Belarus influenced the life of the region and the city

Under the wings of the Slutsk Pegasus

The past year was significant for Slutsk, the cultural capital of Belarus in 2023. How did this status affect the life of the city and region? What has this year been like for their economy and residents? This is what the chairman of the Slutsk district executive committee, Vladimir Goga, told us.  

– Our city in 2023 has become the center of musical, festival, theatrical and traditional Belarusian culture. Everyone remembered the opening and closing ceremonies of the republican event “Cultural Capital of the Year”, the IV Republican Festival of Amateur Theater Arts “Theater Skryzhavanni”. A real event was the gala concert of the regional stage of the Republican Festival of Artistic Creativity of Pupils and Student Youth, the regional festival of wind music "May Waltz", the plein air for the production of wooden sculptures "Sunny Zelinya Dreva", the regional festival of folk artistic crafts "Slutsk Payas", a plein air competition "Fall with the wings of Sluchansky Pegasus." In total, more than 200 events were held, which were attended by over 220 thousand people.

The honorary status of the cultural capital gave us the opportunity to bring to life new ideas for the development of cultural space, to realize the rich historical potential of the ancient city in Sluchi.

– What new objects have appeared on the map of Slutchina recently?

– The city has improved over the past year and has become more convenient for living and recreation. The bridge over the Bychok River was reconstructed, the House of Culture and the main building of the district hospital were overhauled. Our cultural center now has modern sound and lighting equipment and an LED screen. Now it has become a real center of cultural life in Slutchina. Other club institutions and children's art schools have also been updated. Musical equipment, stage costumes, office equipment, and audio guides were purchased.

The city park has a children's playground and a skate playground, and there is a location for holding public events. A new sports ground with outdoor exercise equipment has appeared in the Sakharny microdistrict. Construction of a kindergarten and primary school has begun in the Chekhov microdistrict.

Housing construction was active in the city and region: 21.8 thousand square meters were built. m. 233 families became new residents, of which 93 were large families. Two apartment buildings (with 140 apartments) have been built, and construction of a 90-apartment building is nearing completion. Individual housing construction is developing: 84 residential buildings have been put into operation, of which 41 are in rural areas. In the Zarechny microdistrict, 121 land plots have been allocated for those who are registered as needy. The development of urban planning documentation for the Zhukov Lug microdistrict in Slutsk is underway, which includes the construction of individual and multi-storey residential buildings, a school, a kindergarten and administrative and retail facilities.

– Vladimir Leonidovich, how do you assess the achievements and potential of the district’s enterprises?

– Indicators of socio-economic development indicate that progress is being made in all directions. Over the 10 months of 2023, real wages increased by 13.3%, the unemployment rate remained within acceptable limits - 0.1% of the labor force. The total revenue receipts of the district's consolidated budget increased by 24% compared to the same period last year.

The growth rate of investment in fixed capital for January - October 2023 was 155.8% compared to the same period in 2022. 273.5 million rubles were invested, growth in this sector of the economy is directly related to an increase in tax revenues to the budget, the creation of new jobs, and, consequently, to the level of quality of life in the area.

Gross agricultural output for 10 months of 2023 increased by 6.2%. The volume of construction and installation work for the same period amounted to 115.0 million rubles. (149.2% in comparable prices compared to the corresponding period last year).

Positive trends are observed in the domestic consumer market. Retail turnover in January–October 2023 increased by 4.2%.

– What contribution does the industrial complex make to the economy of the region?

– Industry is the engine of economic growth in the region. The output of import-substituting products for 10 months of 2023 increased by 1.6 times compared to the same period last year and amounted to $20.1 million.

Exports – $367.7 million (positive balance – $301.2 million). The geography of supplies has become wider: products are exported to the markets of 45 countries. Net profit in industry exceeded 59.0 million rubles.

The main volume of production and EXPORT supplies falls on three gross-generating enterprises: OJSC Slutsk Cheese-Making Plant, OJSC Slutsk SUGAR Refinery Plant and OJSC Slutsk MEAT Processing Plant. The first of the listed enterprises provides 80.9% of exports in the region. To increase the volume of foreign supplies, in October 2023, our cheesemakers, together with Chinese partners, registered an ice cream plant in China-Belarus Food Enterprise Liaoning Joint Stock Company. Among the leading exporters is Slutsk Sugar Refinery OJSC, which over the past three years has the status of “The Best Sugar Refinery in the EAEU.” Its export deliveries for 10 months of 2023 doubled compared to the same period in 2022. The Slutsk Meat Processing Plant also intensified export sales and entered the markets of Vietnam and Ghana for the first time. Slutsk OJSC is operating successfully bakery", OJSC "Crane Plant", DUP "Rural Construction Plant", Unitary Enterprise "Special Machine Building".

– Vladimir Leonidovich, how does the agricultural sector cope with the assigned tasks?

– The number of cattle is growing . By December 1, 2023, it increased by 1,800 heads, including 600 cows. During the two months of livestock wintering, 34.9 thousand tons of MILK were produced, which is 106.0% compared to the same period last year. Average milk yield per cow is 1162 kg (+ 58 kg). 2653 tons of beef (102.0%) and 1261 tons of pork (125.0%) were produced.

Preparations for the wintering of livestock began in the summer. Particular attention is paid to the maintenance and rearing of calves, their safety and proper development. The mistakes of previous livestock winterings were taken into account. Additionally, 646 houses for cold rearing of calves, 17 pasteurizers and “milk taxis” with a pasteurization function, and 7 units of feed dispensing equipment were purchased. During the summer period, 4 dispensaries for raising newborn calves were built for 656 cattle places. Despite the difficult weather and climatic conditions of the spring-summer period, grass and other types of feed were prepared in the required volumes. Record figures in this were achieved by the State Enterprise "Sovkhoz Rachkovichi" BJ (54.9 c.c. units per conventional HEAD), OJSC "Kozlovichi-Agro" (44.6 c.c. units), OJSC "Sorogi-Agro" "(40.4 c.c. units).

In 2023, the gross corn grain harvest amounted to 58,974 tons with a yield of 96 c/ha. This is a record in the history of the Slutsk region (31,149 tons more than in 2022). We can note decent results in the production of sugar beets: 219,367 tons with an average yield of 470 c/ha - 99,679 tons more than the 2022 level.

– What are the tourism opportunities of Sluchina?

– Slutsk is the birthplace of world-famous silk gold-woven belts, which are highly artistic works of hand weaving. Therefore, we advise all tourists to visit the Museum of the History of the Slutsk Belts - a national relic, historical cultural symbol and modern brand of Belarus.

Guests of the city will learn a lot of interesting things at the Slutsk Museum of Local Lore, located in the building of the former House of the Noble Assembly. Almost 40 thousand people visited it this year.

A particularly revered place among Sluch residents is the memorial complex in the old city cemetery, where soldiers and partisans who died during the Great Patriotic War, as well as concentration camp prisoners, are buried.

In addition, on the territory of the district there are 32 objects of historical and cultural heritage, 21 archaeological monuments, 5 historical monuments. The oldest school in Belarus (Calvinist school) – State Institution “Gymnasium No. 1” – has been preserved in Slutsk.

There are many temples in our region. Guests of the city are attracted by the Sluchi embankment, where the Chapel of St. Barbara, monuments to Sofia Slutskaya and Anastasia Slutskaya are located. Industrial tourism to such facilities as RUE “Slutsk Belts”, OJSC “Slutsk Sugar Refinery”, OJSC “Slutsk Vinegar Plant” is gaining popularity.

“The honorary status of the cultural capital gave us the opportunity to bring to life new ideas for the development of cultural space, to realize the rich historical potential of the ancient city in Sluchi,” said Vladimir Goga.

Tamara MARKINA