“Culture is the soul of every nation. It’s not made of textbooks or school field trips to museums. It is shaped by the wisdom and lessons of our ancestors, by children’s fairy tales and myths. By the history of a people passed down through songs and traditional dress.
Culture helps us hold on to ourselves in a rapidly changing world. It is the root system that keeps the ground beneath our feet.
Our culture is painting pysanky at Easter with the family and forgetting all the arguments and misunderstandings.
It’s joining hundreds of Belarusians in a circle dance on Kupala Night .
It’s holding your grandmother’s hands — the same hands that embroidered every towel in your village home.
It’s hearing folk songs that you’ve known since childhood.
And you know, it warms the soul so deeply to see Belarusian things across all the social networks available today.
Maybe you catch a TikTok with scenes from a trip around Belarus, set to the verses of our poets.
Maybe “Hodna” posts about a remarkable Belarusian artist on Twitter.
Or maybe you see Katya Vodonasova sharing yet another fascinating story about Belarusian folk costumes…
It is thanks to those who, for decades, have preserved Belarusian-ness within themselves and generously share it with others,that we can be certain: Belarus will never disappear.
Because Belarus is unique, sincere, full of adventure, beauty, and love.
Belarus — which is different for each of us, yet always so familiar and dear. And no dictatorship, no regime with its enablers, can take our country away from us — with its cultural world, heritage, memories, and constellations of creative brilliance.
Belarusian culture is like a red ribbon woven through every one of us. And as long as we are united by it — Belarus is near”.
