The President’s Special Fund for the Support of Talented Youth

The President’s Special Fund for the Support of Talented Youth was created by Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus No. 18 dated January 12, 1996 in order to finance activities aimed at creating conditions for the search, establishment and creative development of gifted youth. The resources of the fund are generated from the allocations from the reserve fund of the President of the Republic of Belarus, voluntary contributions from the citizens of the Republic of Belarus, foreign citizens and stateless persons, as well as legal entities, and etc. The Council of the Fund manages the fund's resources. The Council consists of the leading cultural and art workers, representatives of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Belarus, the Office of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus, interested state bodies and institutions, creative unions, and other public associations. The Fund Council, in accordance with the proposals from state bodies, institutions, public associations and the recommendations of the expert and art commission of the fund, encourages talented students, teachers, young artists and cultural workers with creative achievements. The Fund pays talented young people scholarships, grants and bonuses, provides them with financial assistance for internship participation, to conduct master classes by leading artists. The Fund resources are allocated for creative projects and meetings with recognized artists of various countries. They are also sent for the organizing contests, festivals, concerts, exhibitions, publications and other events as well as to identify and promote young talents and their creativity; ensuring the participation of creative youth in international competitions, exhibitions, symposiums and other actions in the field of culture and art aimed at the development and mutual enrichment of national cultures; the acquisition of musical instruments, stage costumes, materials and equipment for art classes. In 2005, the Fund created a Database of talented young people. It works and is updated continuously. The formation and use of the database of talented youth is carried out in accordance with Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus dated April 26, 2010 No. 199. The database is a unique automated system for centralized accounting, accumulation and recording of information about the scholarship holders, diploma winners, and laureates of The President’s Special Fund for the Support of Talented Youth. The data bank is maintained in order to ensure the effective use of the creative and intellectual potential of talented youth, to assist in its professional activities. The information is entered into the database in order to: ensure a unified system for recording talented young people and attracting them to creative events; provide assistance in the organization of youth education, career guidance, etc. Besides the information on laureates, scholarship holders, and award winners of the Special Fund who are younger than thirty-one, the data bank contains information about contests, achievements, educational institutions, teachers, and the place of residence of all awarded. All the data about people who have reached thirty-one years of age are archived. In total, by January 01, 2020 there is information about 2,884 talented young people and 232 creative groups. Many of them were repeatedly encouraged by the fund. It means that the level and international prestige of the performing skills of the young Belarusian talents is high.