Belarus to focus on cultural property repatriation in 2011-2015

MINSK, 14 June (BelTA) – The allocation of nearly $1 million is envisaged in the national Culture of Belarus program for 2011-2015 to repatriate historical and cultural heritage, Culture Minister of Belarus Pavel Latushko stated during a ceremony of handing over repatriated cultural property to the National Library and the National Historical and Cultural Museum Reserve Nesvizh. The ceremony took place in the Foreign Ministry on 13 June, BelTA has learnt.

According to the minister, a decree that exempts all historical and cultural values that are brought back to Belarus from value added tax comes into force on 1 July. The work on the state program Belarusians Worldwide is underway. In early July the First Arts Festival of the Belarusians of the World will take place as part of the 20th International Arts Festival Slavonic Bazaar in Vitebsk. Partaking in the forum will be Belarusians living in 12 countries.

The minister expressed gratitude to Chairman of the Federal National and Cultural Autonomy of Belarusians of Russia Valery Kazakov who has been contributing a lot to the return of historical and cultural property to Belarus, noting that it is very difficult to return authentic items to museums. “That is why digital copies, reprinted editions and organization of exhibitions prevail today,” Pavel Latushko said. He cited as an example an exhibition of Slutsk belts from the collection of the State History Museum of Russia that were displayed in the National Art Museum of Belarus.

The National Library of Belarus and the Museum Reserve Nesvizh received the medal in honor of Ludwiga-Carolina Radziwill, 1667; Medal "Capture of Smolensk by Vladislav IV, King of the Commonwealth ", 1634; Engraving that belonged to the Radziwills; "Manual on compiling family coat of arms", German edition 1711; 2 reprints of Slutskaya (15 century) and Barkulabovskaya (17 century) chronicles; an original edition of the Bible of 1816; Book of A.P. Sapunov "The old times of Vitebsk" with an autograph of the author, edition of 1885; 12 albums "The Great War in images and pictures", published by D.J. Makovsky in 1914.