From April 27 to May 1, the Belarusian town of Mozyr will host the international festival of children’s art “Land Under White Wings”. Attending the festival will be more than 600 boys and girls including 300 young people from foreign countries: Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Estonia and others, BelTA has been informed in the culture department of the Gomel oblast executive committee. The festival was organized by the Belarusian culture ministry, the Gomel oblast executive committee and...

In 2007, the republican budget will allocate Br 327 billion for the mitigation of consequences of the Chernobyl catastrophe, which is Br 13 billion more than last year, chief of the department for mitigation of consequences of the Chernobyl catastrophe of the Gomel oblast executive committee Eugeny Belash told a press conference today. In his words, the funds will be channeled into the implementation of the law on social security of people affected by the catastrophe, i.e. payment of...

In January-February this year, the foreign trade of Gomel oblast in goods totaled $1,02 billion or 20.7% more as against the same period of 2006. The export totaled $646 million and dropped by 3.9%; the import grew 2,2 times up to $374 million. Thus, Gomel oblast had trade surplus worth of $272 million, BelTA was told in the department of foreign economic links of the Gomel oblast executive committee. According to the source, certain reduction of the export was explained by the sudden...

Today, Alexander Yakobson, the Chairman of the Gomel Oblast Executive Committee, has awarded 18 talented young residents of the oblast with prizes. The annual ceremony was held at the Gomel-based Rumyantsevs-Paskevichs Palace. The young talents are students of secondary specialised education institutions, of children music and arts schools, and artists of theatres and other entertainment centres of the region. The awardees are winners of various arts festivals and international contests....

Gomel oblast is going to build a soda ash facility to produce soda ash of the annual capacity of 1 million tons. The facility will be built in the territory of the industrial zone of the town of Mozyr, Valentin Begliak, a deputy chairman of the Mozyr regional executive committee, told BelTA. A feasibility study is being underway. The construction will be laucnehd in 2008. The first phase of the comapny of the 400.000 ton capacity will go live in 2010. The first phase of the investment...

A campaign initiated by the Belarusian Republican Youth Union (BRYU) “Youth Union for Clean Gomel” has started in Gomel, BelTA learnt from second secretary of the BRYU Gomel town executive committee Vladimir Vosarev. The campaign will last till May. Within the month students will clean streets, squares, parks and recreation areas of the oblast center during subbotniks. Territories adjacent to Rumiantsev-Patskevich Palace and the bank of the river Sozh will get special treatment....

Belorusneft geologists received the first results of the oil reserves study in Junin 1 block of the Orinoco river basin. The Belarusian specialists drilled a pioneer well in the block and confirmed the presence of oil, BelTA has been informed in the Belneftekhim concern. Belorusneft representatives have advised to explore several seismic profiles and drill nine pioneer wells. Belorusneft specialists will process the results of the seismic exploration works and specify the amount of oil...

In January this year, 1,279 babies were born in Gomel oblast, or 20% up from the first month last year. The number of newly-borns in urban settlements increased by 14.2%, in rural areas – by 30.6%, BelTA has been told in the oblast statistics department. The birthrate upward tendency is expected to remain in place as the number of new marriages has been on the rise in the oblast. In 2006, 11,7 thousand marriages were registered, or 8.9% up from 2005. Some 710 marriages were registered in...

Agricultural producers of the southern regions of Gomel oblast have begun an oats sowing campaign. Following the tradition the first to start the campaign were agricultural producers of the Khoiniki region. Yesterday, the sovkhoz Sudkovo sowed the first 15 hectares with this crop, Nikolai Sadchenko, the chairman of the regional executive committee, told BelTA. Today two more agricultural organizations of the region have started sowing spring crops. Most of the companies will join in by the...

In 2006, 15.8% of children more started to attend pre-school education establishments in villages of Gomel oblast than in 2005. Thus the overall number of children attending the afore-mentioned establishments in villages of Gomel oblast came to 72.4% in 2006, Marina Bondar, the head of the education department at the Gomel oblast executive committee, told a round-table meeting today. Last year the increase in the number of children attending pre-school education establishments in the region...