British pipers, Belarus army orchestra perform in Minsk

Bracing February frosts, biting winds, bright winter sun… and heartwarming sounds of Irish bagpipes in the very heart of Minsk. On 7 February, Minskers saw an unusual musical event in Victory Square which is a symbol of the heroism of the Belarusian people in the Great Patriotic War.

The concert dedicated to the memory of millions of soldiers who died during the Great Patriotic War brought together pipers of the Second Royal Irish Regiment (United Kingdom) William McElroy and Francis Strain and the orchestra of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus in the center of Minsk on 7 February.

The program opened with a ceremony of laying flowers to the monument which was attended by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Belarus Fionna Gibb. It was symbolic that the event took place during the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Belarus and the United Kingdom.

On the same day, the British musicians also took part in a big concert in the Hall of Victory of the Museum of the Great Patriotic War and the opening ceremony of the 24th Minsk International Book Fair where the United Kingdom is the Guest of Honor.

Photo and video by Oksana Manchuk