Record number of nominees for Literature and Art Award 2013/14

         Eleven people have been nominated for the Union State Literature and Art Award 2013/2014. This record number of the nominees shows that we have vibrant art communities, Evgeny Steblov, People's Artist of Russia, a member of the Expert Council for the Award, said. Evgeny Steblov believes it will be extremely difficult for the expert council to select three winners. The Russian nominees for Union State Award 2013/2014 were honored in Moscow on 23 July. Most of the projects nominated by Russia are, in one way or another, connected with Belarus. For example, poet Vladislav Artyomov has won the nomination thanks to his translations of the works by Vladimir Korotkevich and Ales Staver into Russian.
       Belarus will be represented by People’s Artist, art director of the Tsitovich National Academic Folk Music Choir of Belarus Mikhail Drinevsky who was nominated for the concert programs performed in Russia and Belarus. Other nominees are People’s Artist Gavriil Vashchenko, who won the nomination for his artwork and sculptor Ivan Misko who was nominated for a series of works of monumental art.
        The Expert Council for the Union State Awards will name three new winners in September. However, this decision will become final after the approval by the Supreme State Council of the Union State. The award ceremony will be timed to the 23rd international arts festival Slavonic Bazaar which is due in summer 2014.
       Three Union State awards in literature and art are presented once in two years.