Petropavlovsk to host Belarusian festival in November

20:22, 1 September 2009

PETROPAVLOVSK. September 1. KAZINFORM Some 10,000 Belarusians live in the North Kazakhstan region of Kazakhstan, BelTA learned from Raisa Solopova, the Chairperson of Radzima Belarusian Cultural Association.

According to her, most of the Belarusians came to Kazakhstan during the Virgin Lands Campaign in the 1950s-1960s.

Radzima promotes the Belarusian language and culture. There is a weekend school in Petropavlovsk where pupils study Belarusian literature, history and culture. The Association holds Christmas meetings, celebrates traditional Belarusian holidays and takes part in town's events. Under the aegis of Serik Bilyalov, the akyn of the North Kazakhstan region, Petropavlovsk hosts Belarusian festivals; the next festival will take place in November.

Belarusians have made a considerable contribution to the development of the North Kazakhstan region. They came to Kazakhstan during the Virgin Lands Campaign and stayed there for good. Now their children and grandchildren live and work in the region.

Belarusians can be found all over Kazakhstan. For example, Sergei Chepurko is well-known in the region as head of Molservice milk-processing company. And Leonid Pitolenko is one of the members of the Kazakh Parliament.

All in all, Kazakhstan is home to over 130 nationalities, Kazinform refers to BelTA.

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