The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland recognized RFE/RL Minsk Bureau journalist and Chief Web Editor Valery Kalinousky with the “Bene merito” honorary distinction for his work documenting Polish-Belarusian history and relations over the past 25 years.
Among Kalinovsky’s many contributions to furthering Polish-Belarusian relations is a 2016 biography he authored on Poland’s first ambassador to Belarus, Elzbyeta Smulkaowa, who served in Minsk between 1991–1995.
Kalinovsky is an ethnographer by training and has been engaged in Polish-Belarusian cultural relations for more than 25 years. He has written numerous articles on Belarusian and Polish minorities on both sides of their shared border, as well as Catholic and Orthodox communities.
Kalinovsky was presented the “Bene merito” medal at a ceremony held at the Polish embassy in Minsk November 17. The award was established in 2009 and is conferred by the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs.