The "Christmas readings" have started

The traditional "Belarusian Christmas Educational Readings" started in Minsk. This is a joint initiative of the Belarusian Orthodox Church and the Union of Writers of Belarus, which encouraged everyone to create works on spiritual themes in three literary nominations: poetry, drama and small prose. The opening ceremony of the project took place in the National Library. The welcoming speech of Metropolitan of Minsk and Zaslavl, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus, and the plenary session were preceded by the summing up of the results of the Republican Literary Contest "A Book for Me – a Book in Me". About 500 creative people from all over Belarus took part in the contest. 37 winners received awards in a solemn atmosphere. The main themes of the current "Christmas readings" will be the 80^th anniversary of the Great Victory and the 25^th anniversary of the Union State.