SYMBOL OF NATIONAL COHESION

SYMBOL OF NATIONAL COHESION

Doctor of Economics, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Professor of the Department of Economic Theory, BSAA Larisa PAKUSH:

The formation of civil society in my beloved Belarus is very active. Society give rise to a new understanding of what we have gone through, what we have made, give a vision of what is happening, and set tasks for the future.

I was born in the USSR, and the concepts of unity, cooperation had been instilled in me from early childhood, and these are not just vacuous words. I was born in the town of Volsk, Saratov Region, in the family of a military serviceman, during the Great Patriotic War. At its end, my father was sent to serve in the Ukraine. We lived in so-called "mazanka" (a mud hut) with the family, who gave housing to the arrived military. There was a time of famine, and Ukrainians shared the last with us. Then there was Uzbekistan, where my family also lived among the local population. The time was difficult, classmates shared everything that they had: grapes, melons, tomatoes. And we helped them learn Russian and solve problems in mathematics. Then we were in Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan.

I thank fate that a rather large part of my life took place in the multinational Republic of Kazakhstan. There is a monument "Friendship of Peoples," representing the consent of more than 135 nations and nationalities living in this state.

In our country, within the framework of the Year of National Unity, special attention should be paid to youth and their civil-patriotic education. So that they know and do not forget the lessons of our history, learn to critically evaluate what is happening, understand that one could only come to a common opinion at a round table, discussing problems together and developing optimal ways to solve them. It is necessary to help young people find ways for continuity, inextricable connection of generations, transfer of historical experience, as well as form a national idea at the level of family, native place and state on the whole. It is important to instill in our youth the conviction that it is necessary to love Belarus not only in words, but also to prove it by actions.

A year ago, we went through hard trials. It helped to endure just the fact that most Belarusians remember the lessons of history and united in defense of the most important for a sovereign country: peace, independence, and stability. We saw examples of sincere patriotism, when, equal to the exploits of the generation of winners, contemporaries courageously and with honor defended the interests of the state. In this succession of generations, in an effort to emphasize the self-sufficiency of the Belarusian nation, we see our strength and reserve for the further development of the country.

We were able to preserve Belarus, showing the whole world that we will not give up freedom, that we are united in supporting the chosen course of development. And now all the energy needs to be directed to creative work.

The Year of National Unity, the Day of National Unity is a chance to show the commonality of the thoughts and aspirations of Belarusians. I am deeply convinced that no genuine citizen will wait for special instructions. Everyone will, by the call of his heart, do everything to maintain peace and tranquillity in our families, in our country. So that the date of September 17 will always be identified with the strong unity of the Belarusian people, gained new value and became a sacred holiday, a symbol of the cohesion of the nation and loyalty to the country.

The newspaper "Goratsky Vesnik," No. 68, dated 04.09.2021