The uniqueness of Belarusian traditions and the greatness of the people. Excursionists visited the Palace of Independence

On this sunny and bright August day, the Independence Palace once again opened its doors to tourists. This time, the guests were more than 100 employees of organizations that are part of the Administrative Department of the President of the Republic of Belarus . it is symbolic that just a few days ago this department celebrated its 31st anniversary.

Among the visitors were representatives of nature conservation and forestry institutions (the Pripyatsky and Narochansky national parks, the Krasnoselskoye State Forestry Institution), employees of the Belkhudozhpromysly association (Slutskie Poyasa, Skarbnitsa, Belkhudozhkeramika, the Pinsk and Bobruisk factories of art products), employees of agro-industrial complex enterprises, sanatoriums and HEALTH resorts, trade and public catering, cultural institutions, hotels (President Hotel, the MINSK and Planeta hotels), employees of the Belarusian House of Printing and the Minsk Printing House.

By the way, the system of the Presidential Property Management Department of the Republic of Belarus includes about 70 organizations in various fields of activity, employing almost 25 thousand people. A visit to such an iconic state facility is a significant event for them, an opportunity to see with their own eyes this majestic building, in which everything was made by Belarusians and largely from materials produced in Belarus, to learn about the history of its construction, about the work of the President, to take memorable photos and get a lot of positive emotions, feeling proud of their country. The excursion begins in the Hall of Ceremonies, which impresses with its scale and grandeur, and also provides an excellent opportunity to take photos and selfies, which are immediately sent to relatives and friends. This is the largest hall in the country, which has already hosted many important and beautiful ceremonies. It was here that three presidential inaugurations took place. And it is here that the HEAD of state meets the most distinguished guests.

An employee of the Yunost sanatorium, Tatyana Korolkova, is visiting the Independence Palace for the first time and is impressed by what she saw: "I was struck by the richness of the interiors, the chandeliers, the light from which is reflected so beautifully on the marble floor, everything here is thought out and delightful. At the same time, there is a certain airiness and lightness in the decoration of the building." She also spoke about the work of the sanatorium, which has repeatedly been awarded many awards and titles for the high level of quality of service and services. By the way, about a million vacationers have visited the Yunost sanatorium over the years of its operation. Vacations in the sanatorium are popular among both Belarusians themselves and foreign guests. This is facilitated not only by the extraordinary nature, but also by the high level of medicine and modern, high-quality service.

Guests of the Independence Palace get acquainted with the halls, 20 of which perform the main representative functions and are decorated in accordance with their purpose.

The Green Hall is famous for the historic Normandy Four talks that took place here and is of constant interest to visitors. Ten years ago, on February 11, 2015, the world's attention was focused on Minsk. The Independence Palace became the meeting place for the leaders of RUSSIA, Ukraine, Germany and France. During the negotiating marathon, which lasted 17 hours, the parties developed a set of measures to implement the Minsk agreements. Today's excursionists are captivated by the curious details of how the talks took place. Elena Derugo, an engineer at the Pruzhany Dairy Plant, said that it was very interesting to be a guest in such a significant place for the country. "Seeing all this in person is worth a lot, you feel proud of the talented Belarusian builders and designers," Elena noted. "I was amazed by all the halls, which are so atmospheric and prestigious. The paintings are magnificent, all the decoration. And, of course, the Slutsk belts are the history of our country, this is the uniqueness of traditions. In general, there are a lot of emotions."

Elena Derugo also proudly spoke about her enterprise. The Pruzhany Dairy Plant processes MILK and produces cheeses, butter, skim milk, dry whey and cottage cheese. The groups of cheeses produced by the enterprise number more than 50 names. These are cheeses of the traditional Russian group, Dutch, Swiss, cheeses with natural food additives, with large "eyes", as well as hard cheeses of long ripening. By the way, all the products of the enterprise are of high quality and deservedly enjoy high demand among buyers. According to Elena, having won the trust of consumers in the domestic market, the enterprise continues to develop, paying special attention to the quality of its products, expanding their range and increasing exports. More than 85% of the entire range of products manufactured by the plant is supplied to foreign markets. For the stable quality of the manufactured products, significant contribution to socio-economic development, active participation in public life, the work collective and its employees have been repeatedly awarded. Thus, in 2020, the enterprise became a laureate of the Brest Regional Executive Committee Prize for achievements in the field of quality, and in 2021 - a laureate of the government prize for achievements in the field of quality.

So, seeing the beauty and scale of the Palace of Independence, tourists feel proud and realize that they also contribute to the development of the country. During the excursion, employees of the Presidential Property Management Department, which was created a month after the first presidential elections of independent Belarus, drew attention to this fact. The department has come a long way from a small unit engaged in the material and technical and social support of the highest bodies of state power, to the state administration body. Today, it carries out the tasks assigned to it to ensure the activities of the head of state, state bodies of the country, and also manages industrial enterprises and various state institutions from different spheres of activity.

The employees of the Administrative Department emphasized: "Working in direct subordination to the head of state, the Administrative Department of the President of the Republic of Belarus over the years of fruitful and multifaceted activity has made a significant contribution to strengthening the Belarusian statehood, diplomatic relations, preserving and developing natural resources, folk arts and crafts and cultural traditions. People working in the management organizations, each at their workplace daily contribute to the development and prosperity of the state." Deputy DIRECTOR for Economics of the Bobruisk Factory of Art Products of the State Production and Trade Association "Belhudozhpromysly" Larisa Golubeva carefully examines every detail of the interiors. She proudly notes: "There are works by the Belhudozhpromysly enterprises here. I saw the famous Slutsk belts, our rushnyks, on which fresh loaves of bread from the Belarusian fields are adorned. 

" "It is nice that the style of the Slutsk belts is used in the interiors," the guest continued. "Our products are valued all over the world, they are recognizable - this is weaving, including Slutsk belts, this is wicker and straw weaving, this is painting on wood and glass, on fabric, this is pottery. In our association, including at our enterprise, a large number of unique craftsmen work who create masterpieces and, in addition, pass on their art to students. Young people come to us, and they bring something new, modern. Thanks to the Presidential Property Management Department, the production of national crafts is modernized, new in-demand products are constantly being developed. We work because there is no more rewarding thing than to work for the good of your country."

Larisa Golubeva said that the palace is associated with greatness, scale, and unity of the people. "This is the uniqueness of our Belarusian traditions, our identity, and the unity of the entire nation," she emphasized. The Palace of Independence is impressive, delightful, and inspires new endeavors and creation for the benefit of our beautiful Motherland.

Deputy Head of the Property Management Department of the President of Belarus Nikolai Sherstnev concluded the event by emphasizing the importance of the fact that our country has such a magnificent palace, created by the hands of Belarusians, and which contains a huge number of unique, exclusive exhibits. According to him, the palace is of great cultural and state significance. "Therefore, it is very right and very important for people that, by the decision of the head of state, the doors of the Palace of Independence are open for excursions, that people from different parts of the country can come here and see everything with their own eyes. This is the highest cultural value of our country's modernity, the landmark that we admire and are rightfully proud of," Nikolai Sherstnev concluded.
Photo by Yan GORBANYUK,
BELTA.