News & Events in Belarus

“The initiative to declare 2016 the Year of Culture was made by artistic intellectuals. This initiative is not only from the Belarusian Culture Ministry but also from representatives of creative unions,” said Irina Driga.

The coming year in the cultural area is a year of landmark anniversaries, the deputy minister stressed. Among them is the 125^th birthday of Maxim Bogdanovich, the 75^th birthday of Vladimir Mulyavin, the birthdays of Kondrat Krapiva, Ivan Shamyakin, and many other Belarusian writers. 2016 will mark the 25^th anniversary of the Slavonic Bazaar art festival. Each of these events, each of these persons deserve wide celebrations, Irina Driga believes.

One of the first momentous events will be a concert to honor Vladimir Mulyavin on 12 January. The concert will take place at the Belarusian Philharmonics on the day of birth of the outstanding Belarusian. The preparations of the project are led by Vladimir Mulyavin’s wife Svetlana Penkina. The program will include a recital of the works written by the musician, the play Pesnyar by the Gorky National Academic Drama Theater and the rock opera A Song About Fate from the Zhinovich National Academic people’s Orchestra of Belarus in Minsk and other Belarusian cities.

Next year a set of events, including the one entitled Reading Bogdanovich Together, will mark the birthday of Maxim Bogdanovich, the first deputy minister added.

The theme of popularizing Belarusian art and the outstanding names of the Belarusian culture will gain pace in 2016. Some cultural facilities will be reopened after a makeover. There are plans to erect a monument to legendary duchess Anastasia Slutskaya in Slutsk.

The projects that have run in Belarus for years will change their content. Thus, a new concept of the Slavonic Bazaar festival have been developed and submitted for the head of state’s coordination. “The changes will underline the status of the festival, its role in the development of the Belarusian culture as well as its contribution to the development of the world music art,” noted Irina Driga.