Uladzimir Karanik Posed in Indonesia in a Famous Local Shirt PHOTO FACT
Concurrently with Aliaksandr Lukashenka's visit to Indonesia, an Indonesian-Belarusian business forum is taking place in Jakarta, the capital of that country. Among its participants is Uladzimir Karanik, Chairman of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences. He did not miss the opportunity to show himself to the world in exotic attire.
In Southeast Asian countries, it's a popular tradition during such events to dress guests in their national attire. In Indonesia, this is a shirt painted in a national style called batik.
Indonesian batik is a traditional technique of hand-painting and dyeing fabric, as well as the fabric itself with the resulting pattern. A pattern is first applied to the fabric (usually cotton or silk) with hot wax using a special tool (canting) or stamps. The wax protects these areas from dye. Then the fabric is dyed, the wax is washed off with hot water — and a light pattern remains in its place. The process can be repeated many times to create multi-colored patterns.
Each pattern and color has its own meaning. Certain ornaments could previously only be worn by members of royal families, while others are intended for weddings, childbirth, or even funerals.
In 2009, UNESCO included the batik technique in the list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity. For Indonesians, it is not just clothing but a part of their national identity, which they wear both in daily life and for official events.
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