We Have Much to Be Proud Of!
Dear reader, in your hands is the second edition of the illustrated album "Artists of Brest Region," significantly revised and expanded compared to the first edition, which was published to mark the 50th anniversary of the Brest Regional Organization of the Belarusian Union of Artists (1997).
This time, alongside members of the Union, the album features young artists who are yet to embark on their journey into the world of great art. Today, the artists of Brest Region - veterans, mid-career professionals, and the very young, unburdened by the ideological dogmas of the past - each in their own way, yet together, are creatively exploring the spiritual cosmos of our complex existence. In this sense, the land of Berestye is unique in its traditions and established artistic dynasties, which form a bridge between the past, the present, and the future.
This in turn evokes admiration and undeniable respect for these individuals - true to their profession, true to themselves, rejecting the fleeting chase after elusive trends. At the same time, one cannot help but notice the breadth of new artistic explorations, the richness of color harmonies and rhythms, and the diversity of expressive systems that characterize the artists of Brest Region.
Yet the most important element uniting these creators, regardless of age, life experience, or specific artistic discipline, is their love for the land on which they live; their desire to perceive the world in all its complexity and beauty; and their deeply personal engagement with the phenomena of life.
The "distant" connections between creators and viewers are growing ever stronger - as evidenced by international and regional plein air events, numerous exhibitions both within Brest Region and beyond, and active artistic contributions to the aesthetic shaping of our cities and villages.
Today, independent Belarus is undergoing a dynamic process of cultural renewal. Within this transformation, the artist plays one of the leading roles.
I am neither an art historian nor a critic - I am an economist by education. But I understand this: without preserving and developing the spiritual culture of the nation, no economic reforms or transformations can be truly complete. The executive authorities of Brest Region strive in every way to foster the flourishing of national culture, which in turn reflects the broader policies of our state, led by the President of the Republic of Belarus, Alexander Grigorievich Lukashenko. One vivid example of this is the recent opening of a unique new art museum (with 11 galleries!) in the restored southern barracks of the Brest Hero Fortress. This event is of great significance not only in the public and cultural life of our region but also of the entire country.
We also wish to support the initiative of our regional branch of the Union of Artists to establish an Artist's House in Brest, complete with modern exhibition halls, creative studios, design workshops, and more. I hope that in the coming years this project will be realized, becoming yet another wonderful gift for both artists and the residents of Brest Region - and for all true connoisseurs of art. We have every reason to take pride in the creative achievements of our artists. Always remembering those who came before us, those who have passed on, who contributed their labor and talent to the magnificent edifice of Belarusian national art - they nurtured generations in the spirit of beauty, affirmation of life, humanism, and high moral values. And that, you must agree, is something truly priceless.
Life is short, art is eternal, the ancients used to say. And indeed, it is through works of visual art that our descendants will judge how we lived, what we dreamed of, what we felt, and what our hearts aspired to. In this sense, artists are eternal debtors - debtors to the future, to which they must leave their imperishable legacy, their traces on this earth.
V. B. Dolgolev, Chairman of the Brest Regional Executive Committee