Opinions & Interviews

BREST, 23 June (BelTA) – Belarus and Russia are closest and truly brotherly countries, Speaker of the State Duma of Russia Sergei Naryshkin said at the opening ceremony of the Russian Science and Culture Center in Brest on 21 June, BelTA has learned.

“It is believed that such centers are set up to familiarize people with the life of far and little-known countries. Here it an absolutely different case. Belarusians and Russians know and understand each other very well. We are really the closest and truly brotherly states. We are divided neither by a language barrier nor border formalities. We are united by rich spiritual and cultural values, the common historical memory,” Sergei Naryshkin noted.

The Speaker of the State Duma expressed confidence that the center would be interesting for many visitors and would contribute to the strengthening and development of cooperation in cultural and scientific areas. “I am glad to be part of the ceremony due to the fact it is taking place in Brest. In a few hours we will remember the mournful date, 22 June 1941, and those who defended our Fatherland. The memory about them and our common fate make our two brotherly countries even closer to each other,” Sergei Naryshkin said.

Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly Vladimir Andreichenko noted “it is symbolic that the center opens ahead of Belarus’ Independence Day, the 70^th anniversary of the country’s liberation from the Nazis.” “It is symbolic that we were together with the Russians during the war. We are together today,” Vladimir Andreichenko added. He expressed confidence that the center would provide everyone with the information on Russia’s spiritual and material potential, would work on strengthening friendship, cooperation and mutual understanding between the countries.

According to Brest Oblast Governor Konstantin Sumar, the oblast is home to more than 70 nationalities, of them about 7% are Russians. The local authorities do their best to make everyone feel at home. “I am confident that not only beauty is able to save the world. Good-neighborly relations, joint efforts for our countries to live in peace, friendship and concord are a guarantee of preserving peace,” the Governor stressed.

The Russian Science and Culture Center is located in the business part of Brest (Moskovskaya Street). The center occupying almost 1,000 square meters features a center for studying the Russian language and literature equipped with computers, a multimedia board, methodological literature, digital and audio books, video films. The center also has a library with a reading rooms, civic and exhibition halls for meetings, discussions and roundtables.

According to Head of the Federal Agency for CIS, compatriots living abroad and international humanitarian cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo) Konstantin Kosachev, the center in Brest becomes the 60^th Russian Science and Culture center abroad. In 2015 the center of the kind will open in Gomel. Partaking in the opening ceremony of the Russian Science and Culture center in Brest was Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Belarus Alexander Surikov, Brest Mayor Alexander Palyshenkov.