Press releases

Belarus Events Calendar: March 2014

International youth theater forum M@rt Contact

Slutsk Belts exhibition

Slutsk belts are a Belarusian relic famous all over the world. These belts were created in the 18th-19th centuries at manufactories, the most famous of which was the one located in Slutsk and belonging to the Radziwill family. The belts were made to an intricate technology using silk, gold and silver threads. Back then they were part of a men’s costume being the evidence of power and wealth of their owner. Four belts will be exhibited, all dating to the late 18th to early 19th century and loaned by the Lviv History Museum. Other exhibits worth seeing are portraits of the Belarusian gentry dated by the 18th-19th centuries.

When: 8 May 2013 – 18 April 2014
Where: Minsk, National History Museum
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Spirit of Times and Luxury: Fashion and Style of 1820-1920

Unique items from the private collection of designer Igor Surmachevsky are on display at the splendid halls of Mir Castle. The exhibition features clothes, shoes, and accessories that were an integral part of the image of a woman in 1820-1920. For example, evening gowns, ball dresses, and even wedding gowns reflecting the European fashion trends that prevailed a century ago are currently on display at the Ivory Hall of Mir Castle…

When: 20 December 2013 – 30 May 2014
Where: Grodno Oblast, Mir Castle

Hippopotamus Show in Belarusian State Circus

The world’s only animal tamer who works with several hippos at once, People’s Artist of Russia Tofik Akhundov will present his grand program for the first time in the Belarusian capital. It will be an inimitable performance, with some of the planet’s largest animals surprising spectators with complicated stunts and unbelievable pirouettes. The hippos will play leapfrog, build “a pyramid”, turn on their backs, and even waltz…

When: 31 January – 20 April
Where: Belarusian State Circus, Minsk
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Shrovetide in Dudutki

The famous museum in the village of Dudutki welcomes guests on the first day of spring to celebrate Shrovetide. The event will feature a funny pageant called the Release of Spring from the captivity of Winter. The participants of the event will welcome beautiful Spring, burn the effigy of Winter, dance in a ring and eat pancakes. Apart from that the program includes a lot of leisure activities which imitate those that people did in old times: archery, exercises with battle-axes and swords, knights tournaments and a Shrovetide Pole competition in which people climb the pole smeared with oil or fat in order to get a present hanging at the top. Singing and dancing, Belarusian games and horse riding activities will be available during the event. The cafes Dudutki and Korchma will offer Belarusian cuisine (potato pancakes, home-cooked small sausages and kolduny – stuffed dumplings made of unleavened dough) and alcoholic drinks. Those who would like to master artisans’ skills and buy souvenirs are welcome to workshops.

When: 1 March
Where: the museum of ancient folk crafts and technologies Dudutki, Minsk Oblast

Shrovetide in Belarusian Vernacular Architecture and Ethnic Heritage Museum

The museum in Strochitsy will also celebrate Shrovetide and is going to offer a lot of surprises to its guests, too. It will arrange a unique exhibition of ancient kitchen utensils which people used for cooking main Shrovetide dishes – cheese and dairy butter. During the day the museum will organize various games near the Shrovetide pole and hold master-classes in Belarusian folk dances and songs, concerts of bands and folk groups, the contest “Shrovetide doll 2014”, a competition to choose the best wooden sculpture and Shrovetide round dances. Young couples married in the course of the last 12 months will be honored. The guests of the event will witness a traditional rite, burn the effigy of Winter and taste traditional Shrovetide pancakes.

When: 2 March
Where: the Belarusian Vernacular Architecture and Ethnic Heritage Museum, Minsk District

Bolshoy Fashion Market in Minsk

Collections of the 2014 spring/summer season created by Belarusian designers will be on display at the spring exhibition in Minsk. The program of the event includes fashion parades during which designers will present women and men’s clothes and children’s clothing. Stylists will hold seminars on current trends in clothing. The event organizers are also going to raffle prizes. A long-awaited exhibition of accessories and dress created by designers, will take place, too.
 
When: 1 – 2 March
Where: the National Beauty School, Minsk

New Rigoletto at Bolshoi Theater of Belarus

The Bolshoi Theater of Belarus will soon premiere its new production of Giuseppe Verdi’s Rigoletto. The production is directed by Neeme Kuningas, one of the most in-demand Estonian opera directors who has directed more than a hundred of opera, operetta and musical productions. This is not the first time that Neeme Kuningas has turned to Rigoletto. He has staged Rigoletto in Estonia and Sweden, which differed in shape and set design. In Minsk the audience will enjoy magnificent parts by leading soloists and artists of Bolshoi Theater of Belarus, unbelievable plot twists, unexpected set design and dynamic and modern final. The part of the beauty Maddalena will be performed by famous Belarusian opera diva Oksana Volkova, who sings leading parts at Russia’s Bolshoi Theater, Opera de Nice, Teatro Massimo in Palermo, Teatro di San Carlo in Naples… In 2013, Oksana Volkova debuted at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York.

When: 1 – 2 March
Where: National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater of the Republic of Belarus, Minsk

Ilya Avebukh’s show Ice Age

The legendary project Ice Age, which marks the 10th anniversary this year, has brought together the best figure skaters of our time and has gained recognition of millions of viewers all over the world. World figure skating stars, participants of the new season of the Cup of Professionals will perform as part of figure skater and coach Ilya Averbuch’s show in Minsk. The show will bring together Aleksei Yagudin, Tatyana Navka and Roman Kostomarov, Tatyana Totmyanina and Maksim Marinin, Aleksei Tikhonov and Maria Petrova, Povilas Vanagas and Margarita Drobyazko, Oksana Domnina and Maksim Shabalin, Albena Denkova and Maksim Stavisky… The audience at Minsk Arena will enjoy a breathtaking gala and see favorite performances by famous figure skaters.

When: 4 March
Where: Minsk Arena, Minsk

Irina Allegrova in Minsk

Winner of prestigious music awards and performer of tens of hits, Irina Allegrova is considered an empress of Russian popular music. The singer toured successfully in 2012 and now, at Minsk Arena, she is going to present her new solo program which will feature both new and well-known songs, including the track “First Love, Last Love” which she performs together with singer Slava…

When: 7 March
Where: Minsk Arena, Minsk

Minsk Spring Tango Festival 2014

In the run-up to International Women’s Day the Minsk Tango Festival will bring together dancers, disc jockeys and musicians who cannot imagine life without this passionate Argentinean dance. Milongas, master classes and seminars of famous dancers and founders of their own tango schools will be held as part of the festival. Cinema enthusiasts will definitely enjoy screenings dedicated to tango.

When: 6-9 March
Where: the National Palace of Culture of Trade Unions, Minsk

30 Seconds to Mars in Minsk

The legendary American rock group 30 Seconds to Mars has been included in the Guinness Book of World Records as the band who has played a record high number of concerts, over 311 in 60 countries, as part of their tour This Is War TSTM. In Minsk the band is going to present their new album Love Lust Faith + Dreams, which is the best one in the 15-year history of the band, according to frontman Jared Leto. The first single Up in the Air has already cemented the top spot in many prestigious charts and was even broadcast from the International Space Station…

When: 10 March
Where: Minsk Arena, Minsk

Mireille Mathieu in Minsk

The owner of a beautiful voice, the symbol of an entire age of chanson, the legendary French singer Mireille Mathieu will be in Belarus for the first time. The singer won international recognition after performing the song Jezebel thanks to surprising similarity with Edith Piaf. At the same time the talented singer managed to find her own image and acquire vivid individuality on the stage. Mireille Mathieu’s vinyl records have been printed in over 100 million copies. Her repertoire features over 1,000 songs in French, German, English, Italian, Spanish, Provencal, Catalonian, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, and Finnish. In the Grand Hall of the Palace of the Republic in Minsk Mireille Mathieu will perform her great hits and will bring joy to the fans.

When: 10 March
Where: Palace of the Republic, Minsk

Crazy Horse in Minsk

The legendary French cabaret established by Alain Bernardin will be in Minsk for the first time. Over the course of 60 years the show has been seen by over 15 million viewers, including Elvis Presley, Elizabeth Taylor, Sharon Stone… The travelling show Forever Crazy was created in 2010 specifically to travel the world. It features numbers that tell various histories with different plots, music, and costumes. Every country is offered its own program. While in Minsk the show will stage one or two performances a day. VIP viewers will be treated to a French style drink reception as an addition.

When: 12 – 16 March
Where: Palace of the Culture of Trade Unions, Minsk

Georgian national ballet Sukhishvili in Belarus

The Georgian ballet Sukhishvili won international recognition by becoming the first folk dance company to perform in La Scala, Metropolitan Opera, and Albert Hall… The famous show features an amazing combination of national traditions of dancing and folklore of sunny Georgia, astounding energy, eastern temperament of the dancers and modern technologies. It will not be the first time the Sukhishvili ballet performs in Belarus but viewers always demonstrate an unwavering interest in the show.

When, Where:
13 March – Minsk Concert Hall
14 March – Vitebsk Concert Hall

27th international festival of classical and modern chamber music

The international forum in ancient Polotsk will bring together musicians from Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Spain, Poland and Germany. The festival will open with the program Music of Kings. The Saint Sophia Cathedral in Polotsk will play host to the concert featuring baroque masterpieces performed by the Belarusian Bolshoi Theater soloist Oksana Volkova. She became the first Belarusian opera singer who performed at the Metropolitan Opera. The festival, packed with various concerts, is a must for classical music lovers:

13 March
The opening ceremony. The Music of Kings program - Oksana Volkova and the ensemble Partita
20 March
The concert of spiritual and secular choral music - the State Chamber Choir of the Republic of Belarus
23 March
The concert of organ music The Great Bach - Kseniya Pogorelaya (organ)
30 March
The rhapsody concert by Kseniya Pogorelaya. The guests of the evening are the chamber orchestra Europa Center, the choir of children’s art school No.1 of Vitebsk (conductor Vitaly Rauzo) and organist Joachim Eichhorn (Germany)

When: 13 March-2 May
Where: the Saint Sophia Cathedral, Polotsk, Vitebsk Oblast
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Dmitry Koldun in Minsk

Winners of the Russian TV project Star Factory 6 and finalist of the international song contest Eurovision 2007 Dmitry Koldun stays in the top of musical charts and brings joy to fans with his experiments. The singer will present the new album Big City Lights in Minsk. It unites ten romantic stories that connect people in love in various cities of across the globe…

When: 14 March
Where: Palace of the Republic, Minsk

Exhibition by Nikas Safronov in Minsk

The Russian painter Nikas Safronov is one of the few modern artists with global recognition. The majority of his works are in private collections and museums of Western Europe and America. The famous owners include Sophia Loren, Alain Delon, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Pierre Cardin, Montserrat Caballe, Madonna… The exhibition in Minsk will feature over 90 new works in various genres, including exclusive works in the unique style Dream Vision, which has earned an entry in the Guinness World Records…

When: 17 March – 4 May
Where: Mikhail Savitsky Art Gallery, Minsk

Cirque du Soleil in Minsk

The world-famous troupe Cirque Du Soleil is coming back to Minsk with a new program that represents philosophy and centuries-old traditions of Chinese theater. The captivating show Dralion presents the images of a dragon and a lion, which embody four elements and two antagonistic worlds — the West and the East. Viewers will be treated to magnificent acrobatic numbers, unbelievable energy and mastery of artists, gorgeous costumes, exotic decorations, and the best music ever…

When: 20 – 23 March
Where: Minsk Arena

9th international youth theater forum M@rt Contact

The international forum will gather theater troupes from Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Bulgaria, and Germany. This year theater-goers will be treated to world classics as interpreted by famous directors: King Lear, Faust, Hamlet, Crime and Punishment… The international panel of judges will be headed by USSR People’s Artist, Hero of Ukraine Ada Rogovtseva. The forum will also feature meetings with artists, a roundtable session, a workshop for young directors, and master classes by the Adam Mickiewicz University of Warsaw.

When: 21 – 27 March
Where: Mogilev Oblast Culture Palace, Mogilev Oblast Drama Theater, Mogilev
Details

Exhibition Ten Centuries of Belarusian Art

For the first time ever the country’s primary art museum will host an exhibition of the best examples of Belarusian art over the course of ten centuries — from the Byzantine Empire to the modern time. The exposition will feature unique works by Belarusian artists with international recognition, whose works have been returned to the motherland just recently. Visitors will be able to see pictures by Marc Chagall, Chaim Soutine, and the famous picture Tomasz Zan’s Portrait by Walenty Wankowicz, the book Baton of Power (1667) by Symeon of Polotsk…

When: 27 March – 10 July
Where: National Art Museum, Minsk
Details