President: Kupalle symbolizes protection and vitality in the Year of the Belarusian Woman

President: "We are celebrating Kupalle in the Year of the Belarusian Woman. It is no coincidence that the Kupalle goddess Berahinya has become the symbol of the holiday. Our ancestors believed she protects crops, fills herbs with life-giving power, guards the family hearth, and cares for children and mothers."

"I wish that our entire world, so fragile as we see it, would be wrapped in her veil. That love and well-being reign in every family. That next year we meet here again in Alexandriya and together embark on a new journey into the soul of the Slavic people — a mysterious soul, yet invariably broad, sincere, and merciful."