Lyudmila Azarenkova received a delegation from the Liozno district of the Vitebsk region in Smolensk

As part of the project of the National and Cultural Autonomy of Belarusians of the Smolensk Region, "Twin Cities of History. Remembering the Past, Building the Future," in light of the next Day of Unity of the Peoples of Russia and Belarus, a delegation from the Liozno District of the Vitebsk Region visited Smolensk on March 28, 2018. The group included representatives of cultural and educational institutions, as well as social and economic leaders from the Liozno District Executive Committee.

Municipalities in the Smolensk region have long been actively cooperating with districts and cities in Belarus in various economic and humanitarian fields. Social ties develop particularly fruitfully where shared history, sacred sites, traditions, and culture are remembered, and where sister-city ties are established.
As part of the visit's agenda, the guests visited the Smolensk Museum of the Great Patriotic War and the Flenovo historical complex, participated in an open seminar on developing relations within the NCA, and met with Ch.K. Shulga,.

A visit to the Smolensk Diocese was an important milestone for the Liozno residents that day. With the blessing of Metropolitan Isidor of Smolensk and Dorogobuzh, the meeting was organized by president of the Board of the Regional Branch of the International Public Organization "Union of Orthodox Women Lyudmila Petrovna Azarenkova.

participated in the meeting president the Diocesan Commission for Orthodox Libraries and Departments of Orthodox Literature and Senior Priest of the Holy Dormition Cathedral, Archpriest Mikhail Gorovoy,
The parties discussed the further development of relations. It is worth noting that cooperation between the Smolensk Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Vitebsk Diocese, as well as other dioceses of the Belarusian Orthodox Church, has broad prospects. It was in Liozno in October 2016 that the first department of Orthodox literature in the Republic of Belarus was opened. Two months later, an agreement was signed between the Vitebsk Regional Public Association of Orthodox Women and the Regional Branch of the Union of Orthodox Women in the Smolensk Region. In recent years, numerous joint spiritual and educational projects have been held—exhibitions, conferences, and seminars—jointly organized by the clergy of the Smolensk region and Belarus.

Following the working meeting, representatives of the fraternal republic were given a tour of the Holy Dormition Cathedral. Archpriest Mikhail Gorovoy. The visit to the main cathedral of the Smolensk Diocese marked a key moment at the end of the visit. As a memento of the meeting, the Belarusian guests were presented with icons and children's books by Veronika Karat , a talented Smolensk poet who passed away in 2017.