The Republican Center of National Cultures
The Republic of Belarus is a country that has a rich cultural heritage, because it has managed to preserve the best of the national culture and cultures of other peoples who have lived and built a common home on this land since ancient times. The long traditions of good-neighborliness, sincerity, friendship, respect and mutual help have a beneficial effect on the formation of our common spiritual wealth, the creation of remarkable works of art. We have the opportunity to see the real inflorescence of talents of representatives of different national cultures, both in our capital and in the most remote places of the country, the special art of which is obviously and naturally intertwined in our common culture.
As history shows, the culture builds the most powerful bridges of friendship between representatives of different nationalities, promotes positive information about the state to other countries. Particular attention is paid to these issues in modern sovereign Belarus. A purposeful policy of state support of the culture of representatives of different nationalities, gives them the opportunity to preserve the history and culture of their nation, their ethnic identity and originality, and compatriots abroad – to remember, defend and promote interests of their historical homeland in the countries of residence.
According to the instruction of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus, the Republican Center of National Cultures (hereinafter – the Center) was established by the order of the Minister of Culture N 291 of 22.12.1994 to coordinate the activities of national cultural associations and compatriots abroad, as well as to provide them with organizational and methodological assistance.
Nowadays, representatives of 141 nationalities live in the Republic of Belarus, more than 200 public organizations and their branches operate in our country. More than 3.5 million Belarusian compatriots, natives from Belarus and their descendants live outside the Republic of Belarus, over 220 public associations of Belarusians have been created and have been operating in the countries of the former USSR, Europe, America, Australia, Argentina, Great Britain, etc.
The main activity of the Center includes work with national and cultural public associations, public associations of Belarusians abroad, methodical support of club organizations and non-professional (amateur) creativity, library activities.
The Center provides information, methodological, advisory assistance on cultural issues to national communities and Belarusians abroad; organizes the work of collectives of artistic creativity, circles and other club formations with the participation of representatives of national communities; organizes and conducts cultural events aimed to show the results of the creative activity of art collectives, circles and other club formations with the participation of representatives of national communities; conducts cultural and entertainment events with the participation of groups of artistic creativity, individual performers and authors.
Creative collectives of different nationalities hold mass theatrical festivals and performances, folk festivals, rituals in accordance with the customs and traditions of their peoples. During the events the Center provides advisory, methodological and other assistance in the organization of cultural events.
For a more creative and colorful celebration of the Belarusian culture abroad, Belarusian art collectives are sent to the countries of residence of our compatriots, and creative art groups of Belarusians abroad are invited to participate in cultural events in the Republic of Belarus. The center provides with practical assistance to the Belarusians abroad in preserving the national and cultural identity (providing national costumes and musical instruments, state symbols, Belarusian-language publications, dictionaries, photo, audio and video products, audio and video equipment, etc.), acquaints Belarusians abroad with the Belarusian national culture, the history of Belarus and the study by Belarusians of the Belarusian language abroad in the Republic of Belarus and abroad.
The goals of the Center are not only moral and material support of compatriots, but also its assistance in popularizing Belarus abroad, promoting Belarusian brands and reliable information about socio-economic and cultural life, and the current level of development of Belarus in their countries of residence.
The Center has a specialized library (created in the Center on July 1, 2016), in which books of different peoples and nationalities are collected, as well as materials of the activities of Belarusians abroad.
Collecting of library funds of books is also carried out by the authors who are the representatives of national communities and Belarusians abroad. Library, information and reference-bibliographic services are provided to library users, including representatives of national communities and Belarusians abroad, taking into account their needs and interests. Cultural and educational work is aimed to promote the cultural development of users of the library, including representatives of national communities.
Since July 1, 2017, the Center has started its work on the methodological support for the activities of club organizations and non-professional (amateur) creativity, whose work is aimed at improving the level of providing methodological assistance to clubs, participating in the development of state and other programs aimed at preserving, developing, disseminating and popularization of culture, organization of cultural rest of the population. The development of organizational, methodological and repertoire materials on the organization and holding of cultural events, organization of activities of club formations, preservation, dissemination and popularization of traditional art and folklore of regions is being carried out. The systematization of information about non-professional (amateur) collectives of artistic creativity, masters of folk arts and crafts and elements of folklore art is held.
The Center organizes round tables, Republican seminars of national and cultural associations on problems of development of national cultures and interaction with national cultural and educational associations, holidays, concerts, festivals, the main of which are:
The Republican festival of national cultures;
The Festival of the arts of the Belarusians of the world.
An Consultative Council of the Republican Center for National Cultures has been established. It is a public consultative body. The Council includes representatives of registered national cultural and educational associations. As consultants the leading cultural figures of the country join to the activities of the Republican Center of National Cultures.
Representatives of national cultural associations and creative groups consider the Republican Center of National Cultures as their home, where everyone finds attention, understanding, support. All together they hold creative evenings, concerts, various events to strengthen peace and harmony on the Belarusian land.