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Belarus' National Art Museum marks 80th anniversary

Monday, 04 November 2019

Belarus' National Art Museum ranks high among the world's leading museums, Belarus Culture Minister Yuri Bondar said at the official ceremony celebrating the 80th anniversary of the museum, BelTA has learned.

“Eighty years is four generations of people. But for a cultural institution this might be a short period. However, thanks to its achievements and attitude to art, the National Art Museum has ranked high among the leading museums of the world,” Yuri Bondar said. Yuri Bondar stressed that the National Art Museum is well-known for its joint projects with such museums as Russia's State Tretyakov Gallery and State Hermitage Museum, and the Old Masters Gallery in Dresden.

“The museum annually hosts dozens of cultural events. Of course, the anniversary celebrations also honor the professional team of the museum. It includes remarkable people who dedicated their lives to art and constantly come up with new creative projects. We take pride in the collection of the National Art Museum that consists of more than 30,000 items that are carefully stored or exhibited,” he said. The National Art Museum is not just a temple of art but a facility that helps create the image of the country and its people, Belarus Deputy Information Minister Igor Buzovsky added. “You have become part of the spiritual and cultural life of our country. I hope that in future you will continue glorifying Belarus,” he noted.

Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko sent his greetings to the team of the National Art Museum on the occasion of its 80th anniversary. The greetings were read out by First Deputy Head of the Belarus President Administration Maksim Ryzhenkov. Director General of the National Art Museum Vladimir Prokoptsov thanked the head of state on behalf of the staff of the museum. “We are happy to hear such words. We are moving forward, and I mean not only Belarusian museums, but the Belarusian national culture in general. We are grateful to the head of state for this, especially taking into account that the museum city block is built under his patronage. We will uphold the traditions started by our predecessors,” he said.

The event also featured a ceremony to honor the employees of the museum and a first-day-of-issue dedication ceremony for a stamped envelope marking the anniversary. The celebrations of the National Art Museum anniversary kicked off on 24 January 2019. On that day, a commemorative plaque was installed and unveiled in the building in 29 Karl Marx Street that once hosted the State Art Gallery of the BSSR. This event marked a significant stage in the history of the art and cultural life of Belarus. The decision to set up an art gallery in the Belarusian capital was made on 24 January 1939 and gave an impetus to assembling collections of painting, sculpture, graphics, and applied arts. At present, the museum boasts a collection that covers the period of almost a thousand years.