Belarus’ Capital of Culture

Belarus has held the nationwide campaign Belarus’ Capital of Culture  since 2010. Every host city implements innovative projects to display its cultural identity, develop and popularize the traditions and achievements of the national culture, revitalize creative enterprise, and increase tourism attractiveness.

Polotsk, the country's oldest city dubbed as “the cradle of Belarusian statehood”, was Belarus’ first capital of culture. Gomel took over as the Capital of Culture in 2011, Nesvizh in 2012, Mogilev in 2013, Grodno in 2014, Brest in 2015, Molodechno in 2016, Bobruisk in 2017, Novopolotsk in 2018. Pinsk was the Capital of Culture 2019.

Lida was named Belarus’ Capital of Culture in 2020. The Lida cultural calendar included over 3,000 events: concerts, exhibitions, workshops, plein-air paintings, art contests and sport competitions. The scale of the events and attendance rules were changed in light of the current unfavorable epidemiological situation. In line with the tradition, Lida Castle, – a visiting card of Lida, was the main venue.

Belarus’ Capital of Culture 2021 title went to Borisov, one of the country’s oldest towns, a major manufacturing and cultural center of Minsk Oblast.

Orsha, an ancient town on the Dnieper River, was chosen as the cultural capital of Belarus in 2022. It was founded almost a thousand years ago, in 1067, and was mentioned in the Tale of Bygone Years. It went down in history as one of the iconic places of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, a center of education and book printing, a town of churches, and the birthplace of the famous Belarusian writer of the 20th century Vladimir Korotkevich. There are more than nine dozen historical and cultural monuments on the territory of Orsha and Orsha District.

In 2023, Slutsk, one of the oldest cities in Belarus, was declared the Belarusian capital of culture. It was long believed that its history began in 1116 when it was first mentioned in the legendary Tale of Bygone Years. However, church documents have been founded that prove Slutsk to be much older. In 2021 it was officially stated that the city, the center of a large medieval principality, had been known since 1005. Slutsk belts, which glorified the place worldwide, survived ancient sights (unfortunately, Slutsk lost a lot during the last centuries), famous cultural and scientific figures... This heritage makes the city a really unique place not only of the past but also of the present of Belarus.

In 2024 Belynichi, a town with a fascinating history and an unusual sacred destiny, became Belarus’ Capital of Culture. According to a legend, its origins and name had to do with the miraculous icon of the Belynichi Mother of God that was brought there by monks of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra fleeing from the troops of Batu Khan in the early 13th century. During an overnight stop near the Drut River, they saw a supernatural light emanating from the image of Virgin Mary. They decided to establish a monastery there and named the place Belynichi which means “white nights”... The area’s famous natives include an outstanding landscape painter and one of “The Wanderers”, People's Artist of the BSSR Vitold Byalynitsky-Birulya, a famous contemporary painter Viktor Alshevsky, and other remarkable figures of Belarusian history and culture.

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