CHRONICLE 417

Byelorussian Chronicle 1971

1. The International Scene I. GENERAL The Byelorussian delegation consist­ (Head), with H. Zabicki, V. Smirnou, ing of the Byelorussian Minister of M. Dzialec, M. Kalaèynski (members), finances, B. Sacila, with V. Hanea­ A. Harbaeova, B. Kudraucoü, A. Ra­ renka and S. Chmialnicki took part solka and H. Niastrebka (deputies). in the session of the European Economie Commission of the UN in On 11 October* the Byelorussian April in Geneva. Foreign Minister A. Hurynoviè spoke at 'the General Assembly of the UN The Byelorussian* delegation to the in New York on the subject: 'The 26th Assembly of the United Nations need to strengthen peace and security consisted of the Byelorussian Minister of the nations'. of Foreign Affairs, A. Hurynovic

Il. I NT ERNA TI 0 NA L CULTURAL EX CH ANGES

Bulgaria Po land The Byelorussian State Circus made The Hrodna song and dance a successful tour of in the ensemble Nioman (120 artists) visited sununer. the Bialystok province in the summer.

Czechoslovakia One of the highlights* of the 11 th A. V. Lykaü, director of the Institute International Music Festival Sopot-71, of Heat and Mass Exchange of the which was held in Sopot in August, Byelorussian Academy of Sciences, was the performance of the Byelo­ was awarded the gold medal of the russian 'pop' group Piesniary. It Czechoslovak Society for Internation­ received enthusiastic press reviews. al Relations. This was the group's first appearance outside the . The Baranavièy* song and dance ensemble Juraéka took part in the The well-known* Byelorussian lit- festival of amateur art groups of 'the erary historian Adam Maldzis visited Socialist countries. which was held in in November. At the invitation Prague. of 'the Byelorussian Association in Poland he made visits to Gdansk, Bialystok, Bielsk, Orla, Michajlowo An exhibition of Byelorussian and Hajnaüka, where he gave talks graphie art was held in Lyon. Al­ and lectures. The Byelorussian writer together 52 works by 22 artists were Pilip Piestrak also visited Bialystok in shown. The artists who exhibited November. their works included A. Los, N. Pap­ laüskaja, H. Paplaüski, L. Asiecki and Russia others. Among the award-winning emnes at the Soviet childrens' film festival which was held in Moscow in May The Martini cup for fencing was there was the Byelorussian film Pala­ won by the Byelorussian, Alena nez Ahinskaha (Oginski Polonaise). Bialova. * 8/3833 418 THE JOURNAL OF BYELORUSSIAN STUDIES

The Byelorussian season at the Kletnaja in Byelorussian southern Bolshoy Theatre in Moscow took place Palessie. on 7-26 July. The Byelorussian State Theatre of Opera and Ballet showed A decade of Byelorussian* literature several outs tan ding Byelorussian was held in Magniiogorsk in March. works, among them the new opera Among those taking part were the Zorka Venera (music by Jury Siemia­ Byelorussian writers and poets Janka niaka, words by Ales Bacyla) based Bryl ,Vasil Vitka. Siarhiej Hrachoii­ on the life of 'the poet Maksim Bahda­ sik, Uladzimir Karatkievic, and the novic, and the ballet Vybrannica literary critic Ales Adamoviè. (music by Ja. Hlebaii, written on the motifs of Janka Kupala's poems. Turkey * The products of the Mazyr factory The Byelorussian mus1cians and of artistic -0bjects enjoyed great composers R. Syrma, H. Citoviè, A. popularity at 'the International Trade Bahatyroii and L. Mucharynskaja Fair in Izmir. Especially popular took part in the 7th International were the ceramic wares with designs Music Congress which was held in by the local artist M. Puskar, and the M-0scow in October. The Congress was weavings of V. Harbaèuk. organised by UNESCO and its subject was 'The musical culture of the peoples: tradition and the present day'. The delegaies of the Congress The Byelorussian State Orchestra had the opportunity to hear ethno­ of folk instruments, directed by Prof. graphical choirs from the now famous J. Zynoviè, made a tour of the 'singing villages' of Toniez, Bukèa and Ukraine and Moldavia.

II. Events in Byelorussia

Minsk A New Institu'te of Geochemistry A group of scholars headed by R. A. and Geophysics of the Byelorussian Avaniesau, K. Atrachoviè (the poet Academy of Sciences was formed on and playwright Kandrat Krapiva) and the basis of the already existing Geo­ J. Mackieviè were awarded the chemical Laboratory, and the Geo­ Soviet State Prize for their out­ physical Observatory at Pleseany, ë.he standing work in the field of Byelo­ only one of its kind in the western russian linguistics, in pariicular for part of the USSR. producing the Dialectological Atlas of the Byelorussian Language. * The Jakub Kolas Institute of * Linguistics of the Byelorussian Two of the best known Byeloruss- Academy of Sciences held in January ian present-day novelists, Ivan Mielez a conference to commemorate the and Ivan Samiakin, were both award­ centenary of the publication of the ed one of the highest Soviet decora­ Byelorussian dictionary by 1. Nasoviè. tions, the Order of the Red Flag, on At the same time the Byelorussian the occasion of their 50th birthday. State Library organised an exhibition of books illustrating the development The New State *Theatre of Musical of the study of Byelorussian from the Comedy opened in Minsk on 17 Jan­ 16th century to the present day. uary. On its first night it presented the comedy Spiavajué fovaranki (The * skylarks sing) by the composer Jury A popular music festival Bielaruski Siemianiaka. suvenir took place at the Minsk Sports Palace in March. Among the * groups taking part there was the The Byelorussian State University Piesniary who earlier won the first in Minsk, founded in 1921, celebrated prize at the music festival in Moscow. its 50th anniversary. Under the direction of Uladzimir * Mulavin, who himself is a composer