Culture of speech begins in the family: in Minsk discussed the preservation of spiritual and moral values

The words you hear at home become part of your language. The culture of speech begins in the family, and the habit of speaking respectfully affects not only relationships between people, but also the formation of personality. How to make the respect for the interlocutor, the culture of communication and the habit of expressing thoughts without profanity natural? The answer to this question today, October 9, was sought by the participants of the round table “Preservation of spiritual and moral values: a dialogue between the state and society about traditional ideals and moral guidelines”, the correspondent of sb.by reports.

One of the practical solutions will be the republican action “Me and my family – without profanity”, which will be held in Belarus from 14 to 21 October. Alexander Karlyukevich, Chairman of the Union of Writers of Belarus, Director of the publishing house Belarus, recalled that the campaign was launched in 2025 on the initiative of the Public Council on Morality. It's now a third time.

Purity of speech and culture of communication are not just a matter of respecting the rules of decency. They reflect the moral guidelines of a person and affect the atmosphere in society. Therefore, the work is not limited to the October week: the regional branches of the Union of Writers of Belarus and the diocese form their own action plans, which are implemented during the year, said Alexander Karlyukevich.

One way to draw attention to the topic is creativity. Within the framework of the action, an open republican literary competition named after St. Kirill of Turovsky “In harmony with himself and the world” is held. Until December 15, works of authors in Belarusian and Russian languages in various literary genres are accepted for participation: short stories, essays, novels, ballads, poems, fables and other works corresponding to the theme of the competition.

A separate area of work is interaction with the media and scientists. It is important not only to talk about profanity, but also to understand why rude expressions enter into everyday speech, how language habits change.

Chairman of the Synodal Department of the Belarusian Orthodox Church for Family, Protection of Motherhood and Childhood Archpriest Pavel Serdyuk linked the topic of speech culture with the attitude of a person to himself and his family. In his opinion, profanity testifies, among other things, to the lack of self-respect.

Respect for a man and a woman, awareness of the responsibility of motherhood and fatherhood, care for children are components of family relations that require attention not only on holidays.

Thematic events are planned in the dioceses of the Belarusian Orthodox Church for the Week of Parental Love. Among them is the international meeting “Talk about the important”, which will be held on October 13 in the Sophia Cathedral of Polotsk. The discussion centered on the family and its role in society.

Natalia Yaroshevich, director of the Foundation for Support of Family, Motherhood and Childhood, told about practical assistance to parents. The Foundation provides humanitarian, psychological and medical support, thanks to the work of his team, it was possible to help to give birth to about 1,300 babies.

Natalia Yaroshevich also drew attention to the demographic situation. According to the data announced by representatives of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus in 2025, the total fertility rate was 1.1 children per woman in the whole country and 0.6 in Minsk. These indicators emphasize the relevance of support for motherhood, fatherhood and families with children.

Another area of the fund’s work is crisis prevention and youth involvement in solving social problems. Together with the Ministry of Education, a competition of youth social projects is being implemented, the participants of which offer ideas that can get practical implementation. The initiative is supported by the Belarusian Union of Women and the Belarusian Republican Union of Youth.

The Foundation also develops social advertising dedicated to family values: the role of the father, chastity, marriage and mutual support of loved ones.

The educational social project “Healthy Word” also seeks to make speech culture attractive for the younger generation. According to its head Anna Stelmakh, the project has been working for two years. As part of the action “Me and my family – without profanity”, the organizers hold festivals, exhibitions, interactive lessons and lectures.

In October, the reception of applications for the republican cultural and educational contest “Healthy Word” started. Its task is to support talented authors, collect creative works and use the best ideas to create social advertising. The organizers note the interest of young people in the competition.

- We shape our lives with our own words – this is one of the key messages of the project.

In this thought, the speeches of all participants of the round table converge: speech affects not only how we are perceived by others, but also our actions, relationships and ideas about ourselves.

The Public Council on Morals, as explained by Hieromonk Andrei (Vasilyuk), determines topics for discussion, including on the basis of citizens’ appeals, analyzes them and sends recommendations to interested state bodies. The Council is open to questions and suggestions from society.