2 FOCUS The Minsk Times Thursday, January 27, 2011 Proposals Christmas time not long sees height of in coming In January, Government plans to submit proposal to President envisaging possible its popularity reform of state management bodies Prime Minister Mikhail Myas- In 2010, Mir Castle Complex was nikovich, while introducing Nation- al Academy of Sciences staff to their visited by over 185,000 tourists new Head — Anatoly Rusetsky, has By Tamara Pimenova ous times. Remarkably, the busi- noted that ‘some ministries have, to est time was observed during the some degree, fulfi lled their func- The Mir Castle Complex is New Year and Christmas celebra- tions and can now be transformed enjoying great interest among tions. into new forms of state manage- tourists, being visited by over The Mir Castle Complex ment, including possible merger of 185,000 people last year. Over should become even more popu- several into a single body’. 3,000 excursions were organised lar among Belarusian and for- He urged journalists not to in the Castle, although individ- eign tourists, with around 400- speculate on which ministries will ual visitors primarily prevailed. 450 thousand tourists expected be aff ected, but asserted that Bela- Tatiana Dashkovskaya, the Aca- this year. It occupies 26 hectares, rus is ready to distinguish between demic Secretary of the National featuring an Italian Renaissance the functions of economic activity Art Museum of Belarus, of which garden and an English park and and state management. “Economic the Mir Castle is a branch, notes pond, alongside Mir Castle itself entities should be engaged in eco- that the inflow of tourists espe- and its crypts. It is a unique ar- nomic issues, while authorities cially increased after the Castle chitectural treasure, possessing must supervise state management Complex opened on December elements of European Gothic, issues,” he said. To a greater extent, 16th, 2010. In total, over 7,000 Renaissance and Baroque styles he believes it’s necessary to delegate people explored the lives of the — in its construction and interior authority to local heads, who have Ilinichs, Radziwiłłs, Wittgen- decoration. In 2000, Mir Castle gained a good reputation for work- steins and Svyatopolk-Mirskies, was registered onto UNESCO’s BELTA ing with the ‘vertical’ system. Th ey who owned Mir Castle at vari- World Cultural Heritage List. Mir Castle enjoys popularity over Christmas and New Year are quite competent managers, able to see the problems of a certain re- gion. “It’s impossible to do every- Scientists thing from Minsk,” Mr. Myasniko- Patients trust professionals vich stressed. expand Mikhail Myasnikovich was ap- In coming years, exports of medical services could rise 5-fold pointed the Head of the Government innovative aft er the previous PM resigned. cheaper than that offered in sim- network ilar centres in leading European countries,” he says, adding, “For Last tests By Tatiana Onufrienko example, a liver transplantation costs $30,000-35,000, that of a at Baikonur National Technology Transfer heart — $30,000-50,000, a kid- Centre (TTC) to open two ney — $6,000-13,000, and mar- Belarusian satellite soon to branch offi ces in China this year row — $17,000-70,000.” enter space orbit One offi ce is to open in Beijing, Foreign patients are choosing Pilot-cosmonaut and twice Hero with support from the Scientifi c and Belarusian medical services not of the Soviet Union Piotr Klimuk is Technical Exchange Centre of the Chi- only for their moderate prices, an adviser on sci-tech issues at the nese Ministry of Science and Technol- stresses Alexander Mrochek, the Belarusian Embassy to Russia. He ogy, while another is to appear in Har- Cardiology Centre’s Director. tells us that the creation of a Belaru- bin. Th e expansion of the TTC network They are attracted by the pro- sian space complex is in its fi nal stage, will help promote Belarusian scientifi c fessionalism of our specialists. joining the top ten worldwide for its developments on the Chinese market, Those from Ukraine and Russia tactical-technical and technological attracting investments for joint Belaru- join patients from Western Eu- features. Th e satellite’s optical-elec- sian-Chinese projects and enhancing rope in addressing Belarusian tronic components have been made business contacts between Belarusian BELTA cardio-surgeons. at Belarusian enterprises. “For me, and Chinese scientifi c organisations Foreign patients attracted by our specialists’ professionalism “We plan to increase exports creating and launching a distant sat- and industrial enterprises. By Yevgenia Liventseva tion of discord’. Oleg Rummo, the of our medical services five-fold ellite for remote Earth sensing is of Belarusian TTCs already operate Director of the Organ and Tissue between 2011 and 2015,” asserts major importance,” says Mr. Klimuk. in Chinese Shanghai and Changchun, A 21 year old Ukrainian, suf- National Transplantation Centre, Belarus’ First Deputy Health Th e satellite is vital for monitoring with their services enjoying demand. fering from liver cirrhosis, was the notes that CIS citizens most often Minister, Valery Khodzhaev. farming, land use, and technogenic “We plan to further develop and ex- first to address Belarusian trans- address Belarusian specialists for “Moreover, high-tech assistance and emergency situations. pand our network — both in Belarus plantology doctors for help. This organ transplantation, although to foreigners will be rendered In the near future, Belarusian and abroad,” explains the Director medical branch is slowly develop- those from the EU also come. countrywide — not only by the and Russian satellites are to be sent of the National Technology Transfer ing in the neighbouring state, due “Foreign patients cover the full republican centres and Minsk to Baikonur for fi nal testing; the joint Centre, Alexander Uspensky. “New to its legislation on the ‘presump- cost of their treatment, which is clinics.” launch shall then follow. centres signifi cantly contribute to the strengthening of ties between science and industry, while introducing the lat- est scientifi c innovations.” Persuasive power Th e National Technology Transfer Centre encourages prospective cus- tomers to buy Belarusian innovations of war related facts and has 26 branch offi ces — in Minsk, Brest, Mogilev, Gomel, Grodno and other cities. Th eir specialists give rec- Gomel’s Regional Museum of Military Glory ommendations to scientifi c institutions displays artefacts abroad for the first time and educational establishments relating to innovation and investment projects. By Valery Sidorchik ing the truth regarding the arena but make our own Th e Centre has already entered into 50 heroism of the Belarusian contribution, counteracting co-operative agreements with organi- On February 1st, 2011, nation. Th e nation struggled attempts to falsify the history BELTA sations from over 20 countries. Annu- the Gomel — a Belarusian against foreign invaders, with of the war, as recently seen Museum staff prepare artefacts for exhibition ally, it places information on about 500 City in World War II exhi- people suff ering during the in the West,” notes Museum Meanwhile, negotiations are exhibition dedicated to the Belarusian projects on its offi cial web- bition is to be launched in fascist occupation of 1941- Director Pavel Zhdanovich. being held with the Museum partisan movement in the site, with most becoming practically Scottish Aberdeen’s Gordon 1943. “It’s vital that we don’t Th e event in Scotland of the Resistance of Cler- region during the war years applied. Highlanders Museum, show- just enter the international will last until late June. mont-Ferrand (France); an is planned..