Director of the National academic theater named after Yakub Kolas Grigoriy Shatko was awarded a special prize of the Belarus president "For Spiritual Revival" in the nomination "International Artistic Links". It is true that the list of the countries the theater toured last year is impressive. This is Italy, Poland, Moldova, Scotland and Moscow. However, Grigoriy Shatko says that the tour activity is not the only achievement of the theater in the sphere of international cultural links. According to him, preserving the national traditions and the national spirit the theater managed to get included into the modern European theater. Owing to the new theatrical esthetics the theater has been understood and accepted by foreign audience. Not without reason the theater has become a regular participant of the international festival "Contact" in Poland, the Edinburgh festival conducted by the British Council and American theatrical company "Rocket" and also in Italy and Moldova. The theater has received invitations to go to Japan and the USA. The theater is going to produce 9 first night performances this year.