Press releases

Belarus Events Calendar: April 2017

International forum on telecommunications, information and banking technologies TIBO

Heritage of Belarus: Restored Architectural Values art project

For several years, Minsk residents and guests have had a chance to learn more about Belarus’ outstanding landmarks, the uniqueness of which is recognized throughout the world. This year, the open-air gallery has brought together over 100 reproductions depicting the architectural heritage, among which are towns halls, manors, palaces and parks, Orthodox and Catholic churches which have been restored over the past decade in different regions of the country. The authors of the art project are well-known photographers, journalists, winners of the Spiritual Revival Award (2005) Alexander Alekseev and Oleg Lukashevich, who released the album "Heritage of Belarus" in 2004. The album sold over 42 million copies from 2004 to 2014 and became a real sales hit in the history of the national book publishing.

When: from 21 May 2016
Where: Chelyuskintsev Park, Minsk

New show at Belarusian circus

The new program “Show of Giant Fountains. Amazing City” will give a start to a new circus season 2017 wil feature over 600 colorful fountains and a laser installation rising from the heart of the arena to a height of 18m, and spectacular acts by the world stars. The world's only touring circus with singing fountains debuted in Minsk in 2015. Its performance won the hearts of even the most discerning viewers. The current program will feature wirewalkers, trampoline gymnasts, jugglers, and also performing bears, monkeys, cats and, of course, the duet of clowns Dolly & Domino performed by honored artists of Russia Lada and Alexander Sarnatskys.

When: 4 February – 30 April
Where: Belarusian circus, Minsk

Paintings from Maciej Radziwill’s collection on display in Minsk

The unique project “The Radziwills: The Fate of the Country and the Family” offers a look into the past of the nation through the story of one of the richest and most powerful princely dynasties of Europe. The exhibition brings together paintings, drawings, portraits, miniatures, fabrics and art medals from the private collection of Prince Maciej Radziwill, an aristocrat, businessman and public figure. The exhibition presents the portraits of famous representatives of the family by famous European artists. Some of these portraits may have survived in a single copy. The exhibition also includes the portraits of the Radziwill representatives from the holdings of the National Art Museum of Belarus which were kept in Nesvizh Castle until 1939.

When: 15 February – 16 April
Where: National Art Museum of Belarus, Minsk
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Vladimir Mulyavin. Great Maestro’s Legacy expo in Minsk

Legendary singer, People’s Artist of the USSR and Belarus Vladimir Mulyavin went down in the history of the 20th century music as a talented composer, original performer, founder and art director of one of the most popular folk-rock bands, Pesnyary. The 75th birthday of the singer was widely celebrated across Belarus and beyond its borders last year. The celebrations included music events, presentations, and meetings. In the early 2017 an exclusive exhibition project in Minsk invited the fans of the “Belarusian Beatles” to take a glimpse of the backstage life of the legendary band. The exhibition demonstrates the process of creating scenic outfits. Vladimir Mulyavin took an active part in the process himself. The exposition includes original costumes that created an inimitable style of Pesnyary and 17 sketches. The best part of the exposition is made up of music manuscripts, photos, posters and, perhaps, the most “soulful” rarity, Vladimir Mulyavin's favorite double-necked guitar.

When: 22 February – 9 April
Where: National History Museum of Belarus, Minsk

International Festival of Old and Modern Chamber Music

The 30th edition of the International Festival of Old and Modern Chamber Music in the ancient Polotsk will celebrate the 1,155th anniversary of the city. The festival invites connoisseurs of classical and modern music to enjoy the program featuring world-renowned soloists and groups from Belarus, Poland, Austria, France, Germany, Italy and Brazil. The festival will open with a concert by the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Republic of Belarus under the baton of Alexander Anisimov who will perform music pieces by Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Sergei Rachmaninoff. The festival will include, for the second time, the international children’s music contest “Bach and the 21st century” which will feature 41 young pianists from 8 Belarusian cities and towns. The professional jury will be headed by renowned musician, Professor Gerlinde Otto from the University of Music Franz Liszt Weimar.

28 March
Piano concert by Gerlinde Otto (Germany)

7 April
Evening of Austrian music featuring Vienna String Quartet Auner Quartett 

11 April
Soul at the Tip of the Bow (concert)
cello – Mark Drobinsky (France)
piano – Alexei Petrov (Belarus)

20 April

Vivaldi’s four seasons, Giovanni Battista Pergolesi “Stabat Mater”
Choir of the Belarusian State Academy of Music and soloists of the Bolshoi Theater of Belarus
Tatyana Gavrilova (soprano) and Natalia Akinina (mezzo soprano)
the Vivaldi company
soloist - Ksenia Pogorelaya (Belarus)

23 April
Organist Eugenio Maria Fagiani (Italy) and the Chamber Orchestra Europe-Center
Conductor Rail Sadykov

27 April
The 500th anniversary of the Reformation The Playfords (Germany)

When: 28 March – 27 April
Where: St. Sophia's Cathedral, Polotsk

Photo exhibition dedicated to Valentin Elizariev

Outstanding choreographer, People’s Artist of the Republic of Belarus and the USSR, holder of the State Prize of the Republic of Belarus, Valentin Elizariev was in charge of the ballet troupe of the Bolshoi Theater of Belarus for over 30 years. He produced 15 performances, amongst which the stunning Carmen Suite, The Creation of the World, The Rite of Spring, Romeo and Juliet, Passions (Rogneda)... In autumn, in the run-up to his 70th birthday Valentin Elizariev will show an updated version of Spartacus and a concert “World and Belarusian ballet stars”. Meanwhile, young photographer Nikita Fedosik has prepared a project to celebrate the art of the ballet master: the exhibition includes 54 photos capturing Valentin Elizariev, an actor, a choreographer and now a teacher and professor at the Belarusian State Academy working with students and dancers and contemplating new productions.

When: 30 March – 13 April
Where: Universitet Kultury art gallery, Minsk

Bi-2 in Minsk

One of the CIS most prominent rock bands Bi-2, who started their career in Bobruisk, come back with a new show called THE BEST OF… The show has already won the hearts of the fans during the tour across Russia and the USA. Shura and Leva Bi-2 will present their internet album The Best of @ Crocus City Hall featuring the songs performed in Moscow in November 2016. The band’s 10th album counts 24 tracks including the popular single Laiki (Likes) that scored more than 2 million views in a record short time period. The album also features the brand new hit Alisa (Alice). The Belarusian fans will enjoy live sound, light show, spectacular stage design and the band’s best songs many of which have not been played for more than ten years!

When: 2 April
Where: Minsk Arena, Minsk

Leisure 2017 International Tourism Fair

In the run-up to the summer holiday season, one of the largest exhibition venues of the Belarusian capital will host the traditional spring fair of tourism services that will bring together the leading travel agencies of different countries for the 20th time. The visitors will be invited to learn about new travel offers of Belarusian and foreign tour operators, including educational and medical tourism products, seasonal and children’s tours, cruise tours, and business tours. They will also have a chance to choose a summer tour using a special program of bonuses and discounts. Besides, the expo will present the latest hotel products, rest and recreation tours, insurance, transportation and rental services, and products for sports and recreation, maps, brochures and guidebooks.

When: 5 – 8 April
Where: BelExpo national expo center at 14 Pobeditelei Avenue, Minsk
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Cinema Perpetuum Mobile Short Film Festival

Instituted in 2011, the international festival Cinema Perpetuum Mobile is now the only non-profit forum in Belarus promoting independent film-making. The short film competition is the highlight of the festival. The films will be screened in five categories: experimental films, documentaries, live-action and animated films, and works by young Belarusian directors. Multimedia, new means of film language, relevant topics and experiment are the concepts that make Cinema Perpetuum Mobile different from other film festivals held in Belarus. The number of festival participants is growing year on year. Last year, the forum featured works from more than 100 countries.

When: 5 – 9 April
Where: Movie theaters of Minsk and regional capitals

Nargiz in Minsk

Nargiz Zakirova, a singer with a rare mezzo-soprano voice and a finalist of Russia’s version of the popular TV show The Voice, successfully combines folk, pop rock and pop music in her repertoire. After the TV show, her music career went uphill as she started to cooperate with producer and composer Maxim Fadeev. In 2014, they released her debut album Ya Ne Tvoya (I’m Not Yours) followed by the singles Ty Moya Nezhnost (You Are My Tenderness), Ya Ne Veryu Tebe! (I Don’t Believe You!), Begi (Run) and a moving duo Vdvoyom (Together). Nargiz, who is sometimes referred to as ‘the Uzbek Madonna’, will present her new album Shum Sertsa (Sound of Heart) in Minsk. By the way, the album surged to the top of the Russian iTunes downloads chart within a couple of hours after the release.

When, Where:

5 April – Social and Cultural Center, Gomel
7 April – Prime Hall, Minsk

Ennio Morricone | John Williams | Hans Zimmer Concert of Hits in Belarus

The symphony orchestra Lords of the Sound together with Pavel Chubinsky chapel choir will perform the world-renowned hits by Oscar winners and innovators of cinema soundtracks John Williams, Hans Zimmer and Ennio Morricone in different cities of Belarus. Lords of the Sound, founded by producer Andrei Novatorov in 2014, won the hearts of many by performing at the biggest concert venues across the world. The calling card of the orchestra is the live performance of world hits, tunes from films that became the classics of the national and foreign cinematography, and also works by modern composers. Today the repertoire of the Lords of the Sound includes more than 200 masterpieces of different genres: classics, jazz, rock, music for children…

When, where:

7 April – Social and Cultural Center, Gomel
8 April – Social and Cultural Center, Brest
9 April – Minsk Concert Hall, Minsk

Davis Cup 2017. Belarus vs Austria

The prestigious international competitions, Davis Cup 2017, are making their way back to Minsk thanks to a bright victory of the Belarusian national team comprised of Max Mirnyi, Ilya Ivashko, Yegor Gerasimov and Yaroslav Shilo in the first-round tie against Romania 3-2. Belarus climbed to the 31st place in the Davis Cup team overall standings and got the right to host the second-round tie of the Group One Europe/Africa Zone. Belarus will face Austria, which is 34th in the standings. The entry to the Belarus-Austria matchup will be free. In early April there will be two more important ties: Portugal vs Ukraine and Bosnia and Herzegovina vs the Netherlands. The winners will face a playoff round for the Davis Cup World Group.

When: 7 – 9 April
Where: Tennis Center, Minsk
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Coffee Fest Belarus 2017

Coffee Fest Belarus 2017 in Minsk will bring together a big number of coffee enthusiasts and connoisseurs including roasters, blenders, suppliers and baristas. Over the course of two days, the Belarusian capital will host four championships that will feature baristas, cuppers (specialists able to quickly define the taste and aroma of coffee), and latte artists competing for the right to represent Belarus at the world championships in Seoul, South Korea and Budapest, Hungary. The guests of the fest will learn more about the Belarusian coffee industry, see the process of making coffee paintings, attend workshops on brewing coffee on sand and the workshop Coffee and Aphrodisiacs by Belarusian perfumer Vlad Rekunov, learn about unusual coffee brewing methods, and take part in making an artwork about Coffee Fest Belarus 2017. 

When: 8 – 9 April
Where: Galleria Mall, Minsk

Konstantin Raikin. Poetic One-Man Show Over the Sky Farce…

Art director of the Moscow Satirikon Theater, People’s Artist of Russia Konstantin Raikin will bring to  Minsk his new project, the solo performance Over the Sky Farce. The program was named after a collection of works by well-known Russian poet of the second half of the 20th century David Samoylov: many of them celebrate a theater of the word and thought. In Minsk, Konstantin Raikin will read the poems of Lope de Vega, Alexander Pushkin, Osip Mandelstam, Nikolai Zabolotsky, Nikolai Rubtsov… The artist will turn his monologues into small theatrical miniatures, inviting the audience into a wonderful world of elevated poetry, awaking their feelings and compassion.

When: 13 April
Where: Minsk Concert Hall, Minsk

International specialized forum on telecommunications, information and banking technologies TIBO 2017

One of the largest events in the field of telecommunications and software in the CIS and Baltic countries will bring together leading representatives of the IT industry in  Minsk. The main events will include the 24th international specialized expo TIBO and the 24th Belarusian Congress on Information Society Technologies. The geography of participants expands every year: more than 100 companies from 18 countries presented modern R&D and software products in 2016, even more are expected to show up this year. The program of this year’s forum includes international business forums, conferences, presentations, roundtable sessions and master classes. The Belarus ICT Startup Award will take place for the first time ever. It will bring together authors of the best innovative projects from around the world. The forum will culminate in the presentation of the prestigious Internet Award of the international specialized expo TIBO 2017.

When: 17 – 21 April
Where: Football Indoor Center, Minsk

European Fencing Championship (U23) in Minsk

Belarus has been granted the right to host the European championship (U23) following the International Fencing Federation congress, which was held in Montreux, Switzerland in 2015. The main European youth fencing tournament in Minsk will gather about 600 athletes under the age of 23 and coaches from more than 40 countries. The Belarusian capital has repeatedly hosted high-level tournaments, for example, a junior world championship was held at the Sports Palace in the 1970s. The program of this year’s European fencing championship will include individual and team epee, saber and rapier events among men and women. It is symbolic that just now the top competitions in this sport return to the sports calendar of Belarus: along with other disciplines, fencing is included in the program of the European Games 2019 in Minsk.

When: 21 – 25 April
Where: Sports Palace, Minsk
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2017 Fed Cup semifinals. Belarus vs Switzerland

In February 2017 Belarus saw off the Netherlands 4:1 in the Fed Cup World Group quarterfinals, played at Chizhovka Arena, to reach the Fed Cup semifinals for the first time in the country’s history. Then, Belarusian head of state Alexander Lukashenko attended the game to root for the national tennis team. After the triumphal victory the Belarusian team moved to the 5th spot in the ITF Fed Cup Nations Ranking. In the semifinals, Eduard Dubrov’s team of Aleksandra Sasnovich, Arina Sobolenko, Olga Govortsova and Vera Lapko will face the Swiss team for the right to reach the World Group Playoffs. Switzerland goes 4th in the rankings.

When: 22 – 23 April
Where: Chizhovka Arena, Minsk

Imany in Minsk

The French artist Nadia Mladjao, who uses the stage name of Imany (faith in Swahili), has managed to top the charts and win hearts of fans around the world in no time thanks to the bright voice and exotic appearance. Recorded in 2011, the singer’s debut album The Shape of a Broken Heart went platinum in France and Greece. It has won the platinum status three times in Poland. In the summer of 2016, a remix of Imany’s song Don’t Be So Shy soared to the top of the music charts in Russia, Poland, Austria and Germany, and scored a record 200 million views on the Internet. In the Belarusian capital, her first time here, Imany will present the best songs from a new album, the second one on record The Wrong Kind of War. It was officially released in August 2016. The popular singles You Will Never Know, Please and Change, The Good The Bad & The Crazy will be performed on the Minsk stage...

When: 26 April
Where: Prime Hall, Minsk

Evening with Renata Litvinova in Minsk

Renowned Russian actress, director, script writer, TV host, Honored Artist of Russia Renata Litvinova will bring her creative program I Am Flying, I Am in Paradise to Minsk for the first time. She became famous after starring as Albina in the TV mini-series Granitsa. Tayozhnyy Roman (original title) which hit the screens in 2000. Later she played bright roles in dozens of films… Renata Litvinova is also famous for her works where she acted as actress and script writer, director, or producer. The most famous films of Renata Litvinova are Country of the Deaf, The Sky. The Plane. The Girl, Goddess: How I Fell in Love, Green Theater in Zemfira, Rita’s Last Fairy Tale, and About Love. The latter was included in the program of the biggest film festival in Belarus Listapad in 2016. In Minsk Renata Litvinova will share her thoughts about life, love and creativity and will perhaps unveil some secrets of her success…

When: 26 April
Where: Palace of the Republic, Minsk

Artist and City project in Minsk

The project Artist and City featuring the copies of the best paintings of famous artists will open a new season in Minsk. It has something new in store for us this time! In previous years, visitors of the open-air gallery saw one-artist expositions dedicated to world-famous Marc Chagall, Kazimir Malevich, Nikolai Seleshchuk, Valentin Gubarev. The Artist and City 2017 project will feature a constellation of talented artists. The exposition named The Golden Collection of the Belarusian Fine Art which will traditionally adorn the Yakub Kolas Square in Minsk for four months will showcase the best works of 35 renowned artists representing various generations and artistic genres. These include Ruslan Vashkevich, Leonid Khobotov, Vladimir Savich, Zoya Litvinova, Anatoly Baranovsky… Besides, in 2017 the Artist and City project will become one of the largest triennial projects of the Belarusian art. It may become a major event in the cultural life of Belarus and will be dedicated to the 130th anniversary of the birth of Marc Chagall.

When: starting from 27 April
Where: Yakub Kolas Square, Minsk