Press releases
Belarus Events Calendar: DECEMBER 2023
Minsk tops CIS list of cities for virtual tours
Tour program ‘Loshitsa Estate in the 19th - early 20th centuries’
Loshitsa Estate, one of the most popular sights of Minsk, invites you to go on a musical journey. During the tour of the estate, visitors will not only see the stylized interiors of the estate in which the eminent owners Eustachy Prushinsky, Ivan and Eustachy Lyubansky lived, but also learn about their fates, habits, way of life, and secrets that the walls of the estate keep. Musical program for the tour will feature the polonaise of the diplomat and composer Michal Kleofas Oginski "Farewell to the Motherland", Napoleon Orda’s piece "Serenade", a piece from the collection "Polotsk Notebook", the works of the German Johannes Brahms and Russian composer-philosopher Alexander Scriabin.
When: every Sunday at 15.00 and 17.00
Where: Loshitsa Estate museum, 10 Chizhevskikh Proezd, Minsk
Viva Carnival show at Belarusian State Circus
The atmosphere of the legendary festival in Monte Carlo will be recreated in Minsk by artists of one of Europe’s oldest circus dynasties, the Toni dynasty, that is 150 years old! Its artists won five awards at the Monte Carlo International Circus Festival, and in January 2023 they were named the winner of the festival with their act featuring golden Bengal and white tigers. The Minsk audience will be able to see this show for the first time at the main circus arena of the country. In addition to that, the Viva Carnival program will include crossbow shooters, trampoline acrobats, jugglers, tightrope walkers, horse riders, and aerialists. Original acts will be presented by Evgeny Komisarenko (Royal Poodle Show), Asel Saralayeva (Trained Cats), Alikhan Alikhanov (Rope Walkers and Tightrope Walkers).
When: 23 September – 3 December
Where: Belarusian State Circus, 32 Independence Avenue, Minsk
Traditional Belarusian Costume exhibition at the National Art Museum
The Belarusian "anthology of beauty" features about 90 folk costumes of six ethnographic regions of the country. The large-scale exhibition has been first put together at the National Art Museum as part of the annual campaign "September Night". It showcases almost 1,000 exhibits: folk clothes, household utensils, sketches and archival photographs that reflect the vivid regional and local features of the folk costume, both female and male. The exhibition also presents pieces of traditional Belarusian weaving, graphics, Belarusian fine art.
When: 9 September – 10 January 2024
Where: National Art Museum of Belarus, 24 Karl Marx Street, Minsk
Gastrofest
Gastrofest is a series of food festivals that has won the hearts of foodies from Belarus and abroad. It brings together people who appreciate delicious food and quality drinks. Each festival has its own theme, but one thing remains the same: participating cafes and restaurants across the country offer sets at a fixed price during a certain period of time.
When: 16 November – 3 December
Where: Minsk, Brest, Vitebsk, Gomel, Grodno, Mogilev
Belarus’ Fairy-Tales: the dance, music and song ensemble Belyye Rosy in Grodno
A colorful vocal and choreographic show based on fairy-tale folklore and ritual traditions of Belarus will be presented on the stage in Grodno by artists from the local dance, music and song ensemble Belyye Rosy. Colorful choreographic and vocal numbers reveal the everyday life of representatives of the Belarusian people, their world outlook, ideals, and values to the modern audience. Expressive animated video content, author’s crossover, special effects and professional performance skills will create bright and unique folklore images that will remind many people of the fairy-tale heroes from their childhood.
When: 2 December
Where: Palace of the Republic, 1 Oktyabrskaya Square, Minsk
Christmas and New Year in Belarus: From preparations to celebrations
With the onset of winter, the holiday season is in the air. In Minsk, an 18m Christmas tree on Independence Square will be the first to be decorated with balloons and garlands by 1 December, and by 8 December, the country's main Christmas tree will be installed on Oktyabrskaya Square. This year, the green beauty will be 30m high, and it will be decorated with multi-format balls, openwork milled toys and a pixel grid. All in all, the city will have 27 elegant Christmas trees. With the upcoming 2024 being the year of the Green Wooden Dragon, the colors of the jewelry are green, blue, red, gold, silver and snow white.
Until 12 December, the Bolshoi Theater of Belarus will be running the family contest "New Year's Theatrical Decoration". This season, its participants make a Christmas tree decoration themed around theater and music. The winners will be announced on 26 December before the performance "The Story of Kai and Gerda (The Snow Queen)".
The 20th nationwide charity event Our Children starts on 15 December. It draws attention to the problems of children who are in difficult life circumstances, and is designed to provide them with assistance and also to reward the most deserving, talented children who have excelled in education, sports, and civic life.
''The Magic of Blue'': Cyanotype workshops at the Botanical Garden
The Botanical Garden offers to experience the "Magic of Blue". In the first days of winter, it will run unusual master classes in cyanotype - a special type of decoration based on obtaining monochrome blue images on various materials.
When: 1–3, December 12.00, 14.00
Where: Central Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 2v Surganova Street, Minsk
Sollertinsky Music Festival
The 34th edition of the Sollertinsky Music Festival stands out for the combination of world classics and the old melodies and pieces of the 16th–20th centuries. The new season will open on 2 December with a concert by the world-famous outstanding virtuoso pianist Boris Berezovsky and will continue with the program "Masters and Students" with the participation of Vladimir Rublev, Irina Ten, Sandra Troitskaya (3 December), a musical evening of the State Chamber Orchestra of Belarus (12 December), and "Winter Evening with Metelitsa" featuring the famous orchestra of Russian folk instruments. The music forum in Vitebsk will wrap up with a concert of the Kaliningrad Symphony Orchestra (17 December).
When: 1–17 December
Where: Vitebsk Regional Philharmonic , 69 Lenin Street, Vitebsk
‘Journey to the Father Frost’s Estate’: New Year's train service to Belovezhskaya Pushcha
Experiencing a winter fairy tale to the rhythmic sound of a train rushing into the distance… This kind of entertainment is offered to children and adults on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve 2024. The destination is the estate of the Belarusian Father Frost in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. The distance from Minsk to Brest is over 350km, the travel time is about 10 hours. A rich program awaits guests. In addition to visiting the estate of the main forest sorcerer, they will see the Snow Maiden's Tower, the Magic Mill, visit the Alley of Signs of the Oriental Calendar, Skarbnitsa - the Museum of Father Frost's Gifts, and will also be able to make secret wishes on the glade of the Twelve Months or on the magic throne.
When: 8 December 2023 – 13 January 2024
Where: Minsk – the estate of the Belarusian Father Frost
‘Night Before Christmas’ in Minsk Puppet Theater
The jubilee 85th season in the Minsk Puppet Theater is remembered for the premiere of "The Night Before Christmas" based on the story by Nikolai Gogol (director - Ekaterina Trofimuk, production designer - Tatiana Nersisyan). In anticipation of the winter holidays, the theater invites the audiences to the magical atmosphere of the night before Christmas. It is believed that at this time the unbelievable happens - the moon disappears from the sky or a strong snowstorm takes you into exciting adventures... The stage version of "The Night Before Christmas" is a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with the familiar characters, to see the story of true love and the eternal confrontation of good and evil forces.
When: 8 and 13 December
Where: Belarusian State Puppet Theater, 20 Engels Street, Minsk
Concert by winner Tchaikovsky competition winners
Over its 65-year history, the International Tchaikovsky Competition (held every four years) has become the largest event in the world of classical music and has discovered a whole galaxy of names in the performing arts. Among them are violinist Oleg Kagan, cellist Antonio Meneses, vocalists Elena Obraztsova, Zurab Sotkilava, Hibla Gerzmava. The winner of the bronze medal of the 27th competition, which took place in the summer in St. Petersburg, was the Belarusian singer Albina Tonkikh (soprano), a student of the People's Artist of Belarus, soloist of the Bolshoi Theater Opera Nina Sharubina. The debut concert of the laureates of the prestigious competition in Minsk will mark 24th anniversary of the Belarus-Russia Union State. The event will feature young talented artists from Belarus and Russia: 3rd prize winner Lev Zhuravsky (clarinet), 3rd prize winner Ilya Papoyan (piano), 2nd prize winner Anna Komarova (flute), 2nd prize winner Ravil Islyamov (violin).
When: 8 December
Where: Bolshoi Theater of Belarus, 1 Parizhskoi Kommuny Square, Minsk
Nikita Mikhalkov's play 12 in Minsk
Russian actor, director, Oscar winner Nikita Mikhalkov will present his play 12 in Minsk. In 2007, Nikita Mikhalkov made a film and then staged a play of the same name. The idea was born back in the 1960s, when as a student of the Shchukin Theater School he got inspired by the Twelve Angry Men play by American playwright Reginald Rose. The production did not make a sensation then, but in 2021 the director received the Zolotoy Vityaz award for the Best Actor in his own play. The Belarusian audience will see the story of Umar, an 18-year-old Chechen boy suspected of murdering his stepfather, and get a chance to reflect on the theme of freedom, compassion, the ability to help a stranger in trouble, and, most importantly, ask the question: when the law is above everything, what can you do if mercy is above the law?
When: 8 and 9 December
Where: Palace of the Republic, 1 Oktyabrskaya Square, Minsk
Belovezhskaya Tale 2023 at Father Frost’s Residence
With winter holidays approaching, the Belovezhskaya Pushcha Residence of Father Frost is getting ready for the celebrations. This season the Belarusian Father Frost’s estate will mark its 20th anniversary. The main events are scheduled for 23, 24 and 25 December. The celebrations will kick off on 9 December, with Snow Maiden, Father Frost's granddaughter, returning to the fairytale estate. The visitors will be offered an action-packed program: a meeting of Snow Maiden and the daughters of Father Frost and Mother Winter – Bitter Cold, Snowstorm and Blizzard, an orchestra parade of Father Frosts, the Winter Lights festival, the Christmas lighting ceremony, the Good Wizards festival of animators, numerous performances, contests, games, and songs.
When: 9 December
Where: Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park, Pushchanskaya Street, Kamenyuki, Kamenets District
Minsk International Christmas Opera Forum
The Minsk International Christmas Opera Forum invites fans of classical music to enjoy the best performances of the season. In its 13th year, the event will feature the premiere of the Iolanta opera based on Heinrich Hertz’s The Daughter of King Rene staged by Anna Motornaya, the winner of the Francysk Skorina Medal and the National Theater Award 2023. The program will also include Georges Bizet's opera The Pearl Fishers by the Alisher Navoi State Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater (Uzbekistan). A gala concert of opera stars will feature both Belarusian soloists and guest artists - Sargis Bazhbeuk-Melikyan (Armenia), Goderdzi Janelidze (Georgia), Agunda Kulaeva (Russia), Alexandra Sokolova (Russia), Vladislav Sulimsky (Belarus/Russia), Alexey Tatarintsev (Russia), Ramiz Usmanov (Uzbekistan).
10 December – Iolanta opera, Bolshoi Theater of Belarus
12 December - Pearl Fishers, Alisher Navoi State Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater (Uzbekistan)
13 December - The Barber of Seville, Bolshoi Theater of Belarus
15 December - Viva opera! Opera Gala Concert
When: 10-15 December
Where: Bolshoi Theater of Belarus, 1 Parizhskoi Kommuny Square, Minsk
Song of the Year 2023 in Minsk
Song of the Year is one of the most spectacular shows in the world of pop music. The TV song festival has been held since 1971. The famous slogan of the festival “Through the years, through the distances...” will be heard live again this season at the largest venue in Belarus. The concert will be accompanied by the Presidential Orchestra of Belarus under the baton of conductor Vitaly Kulbakov. The show will feature Russian and Belarusian pop stars: Philipp Kirkorov, Polina Gagarina, Grigory Leps, Larisa Dolina, Vladimir Presnyakov, Irina Dubtsova, Sergey Lazarev, Yulianna Karaulova, Victoria Aleshko and many more.
When: 10 December
Where: Minsk Arena, 111 Pobeditelei Avenue, Minsk
Charouny Mlyn 2023 fair in Minsk
Belarus’ largest crafts fair Charouny Mlyn, with the history of 13 years, is held three times a year - in autumn, winter and spring. The biggest is the Christmas edition, which brings together several hundred artisans, designers, artists, and craftsmen from all over the country for a four-day event. The fair offers designer clothes and accessories, exclusive items for home decor, goods for creativity and needlework, and also New Year's gifts - holiday souvenirs and cards, paintings and panels, dolls and toys, farm products. The program also features master classes and fashion shows.
When: 14-17 December
Where: BelExpo Center, 14 Pobeditelei Avenue, Minsk
New Year’s fairy tale The Snow Maiden at the Belarusian State Circus
The Belarusian State Circus presents a new program ahead of winter holidays. The guests will be immersed into the New Year’s atmosphere while listening to the chords of the fairy tale The Snow Maiden. It is a story about an icy beauty who wants to find a real heart. Every character she meets helps her learn to feel different feelings - joy and fun, fear and anger, rage and love. Heroes of the fairytale circus program will be horse riders, gymnasts on pull-up bars, jugglers, equilibrists, a clown, as well as white and pink tigers and trained dogs.
When: 16 December 2023 – 14 January 2024
Where: Belarusian State Circus, 32 Nezavisimosti Avenue, Minsk
New Year’s quest Pranks of the Old House in Mikhail Savitsky Gallery
The Minsk-based Mikhail Savitsky Art Gallery invites you to immerse yourself in the New Year mood and feel like the main character of the Home Alone movie. During the exciting adventure the guests will have to learn about Pranks of the Old House. As part of the process they will be transported to the 19th century when the famous collector Yuri Kobylinsky lived in the manor. To fulfill the tasks, the guests will have to meet the Keeper of the Keys and find out why she needs a magic key. They will have to visit the front drawing room and the small drawing room, the library, the study, look into the artist’s studio and solve riddles of the old house.
When: 19 December 2023 – 19 January 2024
Where: Mikhail Savitsky Art Gallery, 15 Svobody Square, Minsk
Ilya Averbukh’s ice performance Morozko in Minsk
The famous Russian director and producer, creator of the popular TV show Ice Age Ilya Averbukh will present an original reading of the classic Russian folk tale Morozko in Minsk. It is a story about Nastenka, who is abused and forced to work by her evil stepmother and her daughter, but thanks to her kindness and diligence the girl is rewarded with real love and happiness. With the help of special effects, bright costumes and design, the show’s producers promise to recreate the atmosphere of the magical Kingdom of Faraway, a mysterious forest, Baba Yaga’s hut and the flight of the Firebird. They will even light a fire on the ice!
When: 23 December, 11:00, 15:00, 19:00
Where: Minsk Arena, 111 Pobeditelei Avenue, Minsk
Christmas Jazz performed by the Minsk-Classic ensemble
The day before Christmas Eve, the Minsk-Classic Orchestra invites you to enjoy the wonders of the Vienna Woods, to see the enchanting blue moon, to sing Christmas songs, to take a stroll through winter Minsk at night to unforgettable melodies from the world repertoire. The guests of Saturday evening party in the concert hall Verhni Gorod will enjoy compositions of recognized jazzmen - Joe Garland, M.Levis, Bill Finegan, R.Rogers, Glenn Miller, and the best creations of musicians of Belarusian and Soviet pop stage - Eddie Rosner, Yevgeny Glebov, Yuri Belzatsky, Dmitri Shostakovich, Alexander Tsfasman.
When: 23 December
Where: The concert hall Verhni Gorod, 23a Svobody Square, Minsk.
The country’s top New Year party 2023: New Year’s Time Machine performance
New Year’s Time Machine will send the guests of the country’s top New Year party 2023 from the big winter city into the most fantastic New Year’s fairy tale. According to the plot, Grandfather Frost and his granddaughter Snow Maiden check the last preparations of toy makers and the readiness of gifts to be sent to all children, but the Cunning Shnoops and his helpers break the New Year Time Machine and hide Grandfather Frost. And then Snow Maiden and her friend Mira turn for help to three superheroes - real Belarusian Transformers. In pursuit of Shnoops, the brave heroes together with the audience go on a journey. They will have to brave a deep underwater world, a cold ice cave, impassable sweet mountains and a dense magical forest...
When: 23 December 2023 – 5 January 2024
Where: Palace of the Republic, 1 Oktyabrskaya Square, Minsk
Kalyady folk rite in Strochitsy
Ancient Belarusians considered Kalyady to be the main winter holiday in the calendar, because the folk ritual was associated with the day of the winter solstice and symbolized the beginning of a new year. Nowadays Catholics have a holiday period from 25 December through 6 January. Orthodox Christians have celebrations from 6 January through 19 January. You can see the ancient rite and participate in it in the main Belarusian outdoor museum. The program of the holiday includes carolers going door to door, a traditional Belarusian puppet theater (batleika), Belarusian folk dances, winter fun and games, as well as herbal tea.
When: 23 December
Where: Belarusian State Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Lifestyle, the village of Ozertso, Minsk District, Minsk Oblast.
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