Lukashenko at Grodno festival: You are all Belarusians, cherish your land
08.06.2026
GRODNO (
BelTA) – Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko called on those living in Belarus to take care of their flourishing land as he spoke at the opening ceremony of the 15th Festival of National Cultures in Grodno on 5 June, BelTA has learned.
“Some three or five years ago, the Polish leadership was talking to us about Poles. I told them clearly: yes, we have Poles living here, but they are my Poles. You are all ours, you are Belarusians. Cherish your land. This land is no longer for us, the older generation. It is for our children and grandchildren. We must preserve and enhance this flourishing land,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
The head of state also spoke about the role of culture, which is international by nature and cannot be confined within the borders of a single country. “Culture and science are international. You cannot lock any culture within the framework of one or two states. Culture is one, and within this culture there are many different branches and directions. Because, as I said, it is international,” Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized. “It is not limited to the framework of a festival. A festival is the soul of culture, a normal part of our lives. It pleases me to see you so dedicated to this idea. The idea is important, but what is especially significant is the work of the people through whom it becomes a carefully preserved and certainly good tradition.”
“Some three or five years ago, the Polish leadership was talking to us about Poles. I told them clearly: yes, we have Poles living here, but they are my Poles. You are all ours, you are Belarusians. Cherish your land. This land is no longer for us, the older generation. It is for our children and grandchildren. We must preserve and enhance this flourishing land,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
The head of state also spoke about the role of culture, which is international by nature and cannot be confined within the borders of a single country. “Culture and science are international. You cannot lock any culture within the framework of one or two states. Culture is one, and within this culture there are many different branches and directions. Because, as I said, it is international,” Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized. “It is not limited to the framework of a festival. A festival is the soul of culture, a normal part of our lives. It pleases me to see you so dedicated to this idea. The idea is important, but what is especially significant is the work of the people through whom it becomes a carefully preserved and certainly good tradition.”