Delegate of the First All-Belarusian People’s Assembly on the Role of the People’s Assembly for the Future of the Country

Among the delegates to the first All-Belarusian People’s Assembly from Gomel was a 29-year-old internationalist soldier who served in Afghanistan, Alexander Nikolayevich Ananchenko. At that time, as today, he worked as a physical education teacher in one of the city's schools. The young teacher received an unexpected offer at work. He recalls being invited to the director's office and, one might say, confronted with the fact:

- If you go to the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly, you will hear what they tell you, maybe you will speak yourself. I wondered if I was too young for such an important event. But the director doubted: “The agenda will be the most important issues for the country.” Who better than you, young people, to participate in their discussion

On the bus to Minsk, the delegates met. Among them were “people with ties” and ordinary workers. Alexander Nikolayevich is convinced that such a composition was not chosen by chance:

The meeting, at which all layers of society were represented, turned out to be truly all-Belarusian and popular. And this is right – representatives of each group could convey their point of view, ask exciting questions, of which there were many. Especially in the context of that difficult time. Our republic was just learning to live by the new rules that changed after the collapse of the USSR. First of all, it was about the economy, on which everything else depended. The salary of a school teacher in the equivalent did not exceed $ 50 - it was almost impossible to live on it. I had to look for part-time jobs.

Notes the narrator and the atmosphere in the hall - solemn and at the same time electrified. Too important, fateful for the whole country issues were raised from the rostrum. Everyone was interested in the main thing: how to get out of the crisis and in what direction to move forward. There were many speeches that day, but the most striking was the speech of the Head of State, recalls Alexander Ananchenko:

- The president impressed both in form and content. Sincere, energetic, charismatic – a true national leader! Even on Soviet television we had seen congresses and meetings at which speakers spoke so sluggishly and tediously that it was impossible to listen. There was nothing like that here. The president spoke in simple, clear language about specific things, raising a lot of hot topics. From raising salaries and pensions to foreign policy issues, with an emphasis on Belarus’ development prospects and preserving its sovereignty. Let me remind you that just then, in 1996, a treaty was signed, which later formed the basis for the creation of the Union State. This topic was actively discussed.

In the same speech, the President also touched upon topics that are professionally close to the teacher: education, youth policy, the restoration of the mass physical culture movement. Many of theses, the teacher believes, over the years managed to implement.

Alexander Ananchenko considers the formation of the VNS in the format of the highest representative body of democracy of the Republic of Belarus strategically correct:

- Such a move dictated the time. If then, for the first time, perhaps, even the organizers did not quite represent the role of the Assembly, today everything is clear, clear and unambiguous. The current agenda, the most important well-calibrated, elaborated programs and plans for social and economic development, which are considered by delegates. And the SNS itself has become an effective tool in solving the tasks. The main thing is to maintain peace and tranquility. This has always been, is and will always be the most important thing, both 30 years ago and in this, unfortunately, extremely disturbing time.

prolesk@sb.by