The 11th Festival of National Cultures in Grodno

The unique multi-cultural festival, whose history began in 1996, has turned since then into a calling card of the Belarusian city of Grodno and one of the major cultural and tourist brands of the country. The art forum has no analogues in the world. Every two years, it brings together representatives of ethnic groups from different regions of Belarus and other countries in the "royal" city of Grodno. The main idea remains the same: to preserve the national identity, while strengthening unity and friendship.

On the first summer weekend of 2016, which has been declared the Year of Culture in Belarus, the 11th installment of the Festival of National Cultures brought together some 800 performers representing 37 nations from across the world, including natives of Syria, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, the United States... For two days, the historic center of Grodno became a large-scale art venue with national pavilions, artisans, artists’ studios, photo zones, fashion shows with folk costumes, dance classes and, for the first time, a national sports tournament which introduced the guests to national games, from American football to felt boot throwing...

The most interesting events and memorable moments of the 2016 Festival of National Cultures are in our photo-story