Flags, smiles and music: how young people congratulate Minsk on National Unity Day

City holiday program "Code of National Unity" is held in Minsk on the Day of National Unity. In the morning, at more than 100 sites of the capital, BRSM volunteers congratulate citizens, hand out flags, balloons and information booklets, the correspondent of the Minsk-Novosti agency reports.

According to the First Secretary of the Minsk City Committee of the BRSM Alexey Pikus, the youth of the capital actively joined the celebration of the Day of National Unity. More than 1,000 volunteers are involved in the events.

- All the youth of the capital congratulate the residents and guests of our city on the Day of National Unity. This is an important holiday for every Belarusian, and young people cannot stay away. Today, the whole city, all young people are walking, congratulating passers-by and everyone involved in this holiday, Picus said.

He stressed that the central theme of the program was the unity of citizens, youth and generations.

- The most important thing is the unity of Belarus, the unity of youth for the sake of the future of our country, the unity of our citizens for the purpose of further development, creation and preservation of peace on our land, said the First Secretary of the Minsk City Committee of the BRSM.

One of the sites works near the Belarusian State Pedagogical University named after M. Tank - opposite the Minsk City Executive Committee. Active students sit at a public transport stop and congratulate passers-by.

Secretary of the primary organization BRSM BSPU Daniil Borodin said that the university in city events involved about 20 children.

- I want to congratulate all Belarusians on the Day of National Unity. We are all united, and only through joint efforts can we succeed. The guys demonstrate this perfectly, Borodin stressed.

BSPU student Anastasia Starovoitova admitted that in the morning volunteers had time to communicate with many Minsk residents. Reactions are different: someone is in a hurry for business, someone just takes a checkbox or a booklet. But a lot of people stop.

- Most of all, today the reaction of passers-by is pleasant. People smile, stop, ask questions. It seems that it is from such simple meetings that a feeling of a common holiday is formed, the student said.

Not everyone is in a hurry to pass by. Some Minnesotans approach volunteers themselves. Ivan Viktorovich came to the city center to see how the capital lives. Seeing the festive venue, the man addressed the youth:

I wish you a peaceful sky above your head. Today is a really important date in history. Thank you for what you guys are doing.

The next point of our route is Surganova Street, 50, near Riga shopping center. Here, the festive atmosphere is different: new participants join the action, and volunteers communicate with citizens and invite them to learn more about the history of National Unity Day. By the way, the information brochures talk about the history of the holiday, its significance for the country, the features of the celebration in the capital and interesting facts.

BSUIR student Yeremey Gapanovich expects to distribute about 800 information leaflets. But, as the young man admits, his task is not just to hand over a booklet to a passer-by.

- People don't pass by. They stop, they're interested, and we have a heartfelt conversation with citizens. This holiday connects our past, present and future. I am happy to participate in the event, congratulate people and remind how we were given unity, and learn something new.

Festive venues work throughout Minsk, uniting volunteers, students and ordinary passers-by. And that’s the main point: to be together, to talk, to support each other and to keep the connection between generations. In the evening, the festive program will continue with concerts at major venues of the capital: at the MOMO shopping center on Partizansky Avenue, 150a, at the Gallery shopping center, etc. Winners, 9, at the Dana Mall shopping center on P. Mstislavets street, 9, as well as at the railway station Minsk-Passenger station.

Photo by Diana Shabal and Irina Malinovskaya