Officials claim Alexievich does not deserve hero title
However, the "Hero of Belarus" title was given to three chairmen of collective farms, 2 enterprise directors and one director of the creative team.
The "Hero of Belarus" title is the highest distinction of the Republic of Belarus and is awarded for exceptional services to the state and society, associated with deeds committed in the name of freedom, independence and prosperity of the Republic of Belarus. In this regard, Sveltana Alexievich currently cannot be given the "Hero of Belarus" title -- that was the answer given to the activist Ulad Stashkevich from the Ministry of Culture, which addressed a proposal to honor Alexievich with the "Hero of Belarus" title.
He already collected 334 signatures in favor of this initiative. The Ministry of Culture thought on the proposal for 31 days and refused, claiming also to have consulted colleagues from the Ministry of Information, as well as representatives of the "Union of Writers of Belarus".
"The initiative appeared because Svetlana Alexievich has no public recognition, no state awards. Thus we thought that the people also may initiate awarding her the title. It would look good, if such an initiative came from the people," Uladz Stashkevich explained his idea to Euroradio.
Chairman of the official Union of Writers of Belarus, Mikalai Charhinets, listened attentively the proposal to award Alexievich the title of Distinguished Activist of Culture. But then he said that it is much easier to do this not through the members of his organization, but by the Minister Svyatlou himself...
The signatures were collected by the site petitions.by, there was found a lawyer, who could control the accuracy of delivery. Each subscriber submitted their real first and last name, home address. Stashkevich says that he studied in detail, who and for what became the "Hero of Belarus." He found no big obstacles to award this title to Svetlana Alexievich.
"Who's got the title? That's 11 people. And there, in principle, a large part was awarded the "Hero of Belarus" title for achievements in agriculture, engineering. Some people simply received it for "working in the collective farm." No particular feats are seen there," says the activist.
Who and why became the "Hero of Belarus":
1. Uladzimir Karvat, pilot - received the title posthumously. He died trying to take his falling plane away from village houses.
2. Pavel Maryeu, Director of "BelAZ" - he received the title was "for work at the enterprise BelAZ".
3. Aliaksandr Dubko, Head of the Hrodna Oblast Executive Committee - "for the development of agriculture in the Hrodna region."
4. Mikhail Karchmit, Chairman of the agricultural complex "Snou" - "for his contribution to the development of agriculture in the Nesvizh rayon of the Minsk oblast, as well as for the work in the Commission for Regional Policy of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus".
5. Vital Kramko, Chairman of the agricultural enterprise "Kastrychnik" - "for work on the farm "Progress" and the "Kastrychnik-Hrodna" in the Hrodna region".
6. Mikhail Vysotsky, the director of "Belautatraktarabudaunitstva" NASB "for his contribution to the development of the automotive industry."
7. Petr Prakapovich, Chairman of the National Bank "for his work in the banking system."
8. Vasil Ravyaka, Chairman of the agricultural cooperative "Pragres Vertsyalishki" - "for his work in "Pragres - Vertsyalishki."
9. Mikhail Savitsky, Head of the State Cultural Institution "artistic academic studios of painting, graphics and sculpture" "for the development of the Belarusian painting."
10. Filaret, Metropolitan of Minsk and Slutsk, Patriarchal Exarch of All Honorable Belarus "for outstanding personal contribution to the spiritual revival of the Belarusian people."
11. Darya Domrachava, biathlon - "for committing sporting feat (three-time Olympic champion)."
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