Іryna Darafeeva: “My concerts improve machine-operators’ capacity for work”
The singer is going to give 30 concerts in the fields during two weeks in August and thinks that such things happen to peasants only once in a lifetime.
ERB has found out that trains full of propagandists from ideology departments, officials, culture workers and journalists from official mass media set out for trips across Belarus when the harvesting campaign started. They give political information lectures, chose the best peasants and sing songs.
Propaganda brigades are divided into local, district, regional and even republican teams. Machine-operators are obliged to be present at all those performances.
The head ideologist of Chachersk District Executive Committee Alesya Sazonava told ERB that their train had already managed to visit 10 out of 11 farms of the district. Concerts and political information lectures are organized at 7 a.m. not to get on the nerves of machine-operators.
Alesya Sazonava: “We meet very early in the morning. If the weather is good they start their work early. We give them diplomas for their achievements – for example, a diploma to the person who threshed more grain than others did. And we give them instructions”.
The District ideologist confessed that machine-operators were surprised by the number of ideologists. Local authorities and ensembles come to entertain them almost every day.
Alesya Sazonava: “They are asking “Why?” The do not feel any lack of cultural life, they have their own propaganda brigades. They sing songs and meet the administration every day”.
According to the ideologist, the district propaganda train arrives not only to give concerts and instruct people, but to listen to people’s complaints and help them solve problems. But it turns out that there are no problems in the country except for the weather. That’s the only thing that bothers peasants.
Alesya Sazonava: “There are no problems. They only say: “We need good weather to take the crop”. This is the only burning issue.”
Nobody knows whether the passengers of the propaganda train are able to solve the machine-operators’ problem. If they can’t, they may try their luck with the train of a higher instance. The train of the government’s favorite singer, the “face of Belarus” Iryna Darafeeva, will leave the capital on August 1. It will head for Homel Region. Iryna and her band are going to give from 20 to 30 concerts in fields and at stadiums during two weeks.
Іryna Darafeeva: “My whole team is coming - musicians and back vocalists (soloists from the “Zabava” ensemble). Heorhi Kaldun and Henadz Sanko are also coming with us”.
The singer’s schedule is really tight: concerts for machine-operators in the day-time and concerts at stadiums in towns in the evening. Iryna does not think that she disturbs people or prevents them from working.
Іryna Darafeeva: “They get entertained in the spare time they have. They are very happy because such things happen once in a lifetime”.
Bad weather is not a problem for the singer. If it is raining Iryna Darafeeva gives concerts in granaries. She is not afraid of cockroaches living there.
Іryna Darafeeva: “Years of practice give their result – nothing can frighten me anymore!”
We asked her if it was possible to get a better harvest after such concerts and she answered that they helped improve machine-operators’ capacity for work.
Іryna Darafeeva: “I think the capacity for work gets improved. Sure, it does improve!”
The singer says that field concerts are given for free. You only have to buy tickets to go to the concert given by guests from the capital in towns. Iryna Darafeeva did not confess how much money she would make after the tour. She said that financial issues did not interest her.
ERB has found out that trains full of propagandists from ideology departments, officials, culture workers and journalists from official mass media set out for trips across Belarus when the harvesting campaign started. They give political information lectures, chose the best peasants and sing songs.
Propaganda brigades are divided into local, district, regional and even republican teams. Machine-operators are obliged to be present at all those performances.
The head ideologist of Chachersk District Executive Committee Alesya Sazonava told ERB that their train had already managed to visit 10 out of 11 farms of the district. Concerts and political information lectures are organized at 7 a.m. not to get on the nerves of machine-operators.
Alesya Sazonava: “We meet very early in the morning. If the weather is good they start their work early. We give them diplomas for their achievements – for example, a diploma to the person who threshed more grain than others did. And we give them instructions”.
The District ideologist confessed that machine-operators were surprised by the number of ideologists. Local authorities and ensembles come to entertain them almost every day.
Alesya Sazonava: “They are asking “Why?” The do not feel any lack of cultural life, they have their own propaganda brigades. They sing songs and meet the administration every day”.
According to the ideologist, the district propaganda train arrives not only to give concerts and instruct people, but to listen to people’s complaints and help them solve problems. But it turns out that there are no problems in the country except for the weather. That’s the only thing that bothers peasants.
Alesya Sazonava: “There are no problems. They only say: “We need good weather to take the crop”. This is the only burning issue.”
Nobody knows whether the passengers of the propaganda train are able to solve the machine-operators’ problem. If they can’t, they may try their luck with the train of a higher instance. The train of the government’s favorite singer, the “face of Belarus” Iryna Darafeeva, will leave the capital on August 1. It will head for Homel Region. Iryna and her band are going to give from 20 to 30 concerts in fields and at stadiums during two weeks.
Іryna Darafeeva: “My whole team is coming - musicians and back vocalists (soloists from the “Zabava” ensemble). Heorhi Kaldun and Henadz Sanko are also coming with us”.
The singer’s schedule is really tight: concerts for machine-operators in the day-time and concerts at stadiums in towns in the evening. Iryna does not think that she disturbs people or prevents them from working.
Іryna Darafeeva: “They get entertained in the spare time they have. They are very happy because such things happen once in a lifetime”.
Bad weather is not a problem for the singer. If it is raining Iryna Darafeeva gives concerts in granaries. She is not afraid of cockroaches living there.
Іryna Darafeeva: “Years of practice give their result – nothing can frighten me anymore!”
We asked her if it was possible to get a better harvest after such concerts and she answered that they helped improve machine-operators’ capacity for work.
Іryna Darafeeva: “I think the capacity for work gets improved. Sure, it does improve!”
The singer says that field concerts are given for free. You only have to buy tickets to go to the concert given by guests from the capital in towns. Iryna Darafeeva did not confess how much money she would make after the tour. She said that financial issues did not interest her.
