Ada Raychonak becomes the laureate of the For Freedom of Thought award (photos)

Some 100 people participated in the traditional annual Vasil Bykau For Freedom of Thought award ceremony held on the birthday of this true national writer at his birth village.

The event was organized by the Movement for Freedom (MFF). It was the leader of the organization Alaksandr Milinkievich who founded the Vasil Bykau For Freedom of Thought award to honour the persons whose creative and civil activity is directed to the benefit of Belarus and freedom.

Writers, political scientists, artists, musicians, journalists, and the representatives of the local authorities came to honour the memory of Vasil Bykau who is considered by the Belarusian intellectuals to be the nation’s conscience. The head of the Vitsiebsk Belarusian Language Society Iosif Navumchyk was the presenter of the event.

The celebrative event was attended by Hienadz Buraukin, Zinaida Bandarenka, Ada Raychonak, Ales Marachkin, Ales Pushkin, Alaksandr Klaskouski, Mikhal Hil, Valer Mazynski, Fieliks Shkirmankou, and several other famous persons. Also, the event was attended by the head of the MFF Alaksandr Milinkievich, by his deputies Yuras Hubarevich and Viktar Karnieyenka, and by the advisor to the organization’s head Ales Lahviniets.

Paintings and tapestries were fixed along the walls of the house and of household buildings. The exhibition in the open air named The Epoch’s Persons was organized by the artist Ales Pushkin.

In the beginning, writers and poets made their speeches dedicated to the memory of Bykau. The writer’s sister Valantsina shared her memories. She also thanked sincerely the participants for remembering her brother.

Ales Pushkin who was honoured the For Freedom of Thought award in 2009 declared that Ada Raychonak became this year’s laureate. She is honoured for her dedicated cultural and enlightenment work for the sake of the national revival.

Alaksandr Milinkievich noted in his speech that this award is for those people who – with their hard work – pursue the path of freedom, and lead others to this path.

Ada Elyeuna Raychonak devoted a major part of her life to collecting and popularizing the heritage of the famous artist, ethnographer and enlightener Yazep Drazdovich. Raychonak created two museums in her village Hiermanavichy, Ushachy district: the Yazep Drazdovich Art and Ethnography Museum, and the Mikhas Raychonak Non-Governmental Literature and Art Museum. Raychonak now heads the Yazep Drazdovich Culture and Education Centre – the civil organization founded by her and her supporters in 1995. She managed to organize as many as 14 events since that time. The last event was dedicated to the creative work of poet Ryhor Baradulin, while the previous two were dedicated to Vasil Bykau and to writer Uladzimir Karatkievich. Belarusian artists, writers, and poets always visit Hiermanavichy with pleasure. In her spare time, Raychonak issues The Fatherland newspaper, studies the local lore, engages in politics, and arranges art exhibitions in Vitsiebsk and Minsk. She bought out the manor of the famous plant breeder Sikora, and sets it in order.

After the laureate was honoured, the lead dulcimer player of the Belarusian State Philharmonic Hall Ales Lavonchyk performed a most beautiful music for the participants. The national actor of Belarus Zinaida Bandarenka read the dictation − an extract from Bykau’s book named A Long Journey Home. The Rekha folk band raised the participants’ mood with their lyrical and jocose songs.

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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