Press releases

Belarus Events Calendar: July 2015

Belarus Independence Day

Extreme Guinness World Records at Belarusian State Circus

The new program will gather great circus performers and winners of international festivals from around the world at the Belarusian State Circus. The fascinating show will feature record holders from the Guinness Book of World Records, such as the "king of a one-wheeled bike" and the author of 40 records Peter Rosendahl from Sweden, the Swiss illusionists who invented giant soap bubbles, and the tamer and snake charmer Bruno Medjalaro from Italy who will show the power of giant pythons, anacondas, scorpions, and spiders. The program will also include performances by aerial acrobats, gymnasts, acrobats on a teeterboard, Italian clowns from the famous Salvini dynasty, and tamers of camels, llamas, and monkeys.

When: from 9 May till 2 August
Where: Belarusian State Circus, Minsk

Exhibition of reproductions of Nikolai Seleshchuk’s works The Artist and the City

The project The Artist and the City that became famous after the exhibitions of reproductions of works by the great artists Marc Chagall and Kazimir Malevich invites the residents and guests of Minsk to get acquainted with Nikolai Seleshchuk, an outstanding Belarusian artist of the 20th century who was a black-and-white artist, an illustrator, and a laureate of the State Prize of Belarus. He was one of the first Belarusian surrealists. The exhibition under the open sky features 30 reproductions of the works by the "Belarusian Salvador Dali" from the holdings of the leading Belarusian museums, including the National Art Museum of Belarus and the Mogilev Regional Art Museum named after Pavel Maslenikov. The visitors to the exhibition will see the artist’s most important paintings including Chronicle of One Day, Way Home, and Portrait  of a Girl …

When: from 14 May till 10 September
Where: Yakub Kolas Square, Minsk

1st International Festival of Sand Sculptures in Minsk

The festival, which is new for Belarus, presents the works by the best masters from six Russian cities: within two weeks in May they created an amazing gallery of sculptures near the walls of the Minsk Church of All Saints. The sculptures will remain in place until the end of August. The exhibition titled World Collection brings together the sculptures dedicated to the Slavonic culture and religion, the Middle Eastern art, myths about the mysterious Atlantis, mysterious Easter Island, sunny Africa... One of the most impressive sculptures is a 4-meter-high monument dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War. At night the open-air gallery is illuminated by LED lights, which makes fragile artworks from sand look even more expressive and mesmerizing...

When: 3 May – 30 August
Where: 121 Kalinovskogo Street, Minsk; near the Church of All Saints

Belarus in the UNESCO World Heritage List

The project, which was launched in the Chelyuskintsev Park in Minsk, allows getting acquainted with Belarus’ outstanding landmarks which are known all over the world. The large-scale open-air exhibition is a continuation of the Heritage of Belarus project and is dedicated to the jubilee events of 2015: the 70th anniversary of the UNESCO, the 60th anniversary of Belarus’s membership in the UNESCO, and 10 years since the Nesvizh Palace and Park was awarded the status of a UNESCO site. The exposition, which was on display on the fence of the park for a year, includes more than 60 photographs and shows four Belarusian sites on the list of the world cultural and natural heritage: Belovezhskaya Pushcha; Mir Castle; The Architectural, Residential and Cultural Complex of the Radziwill Family at Nesvizh; Struve Geodetic Arc.

When: from 22 May
Where: Chelyuskintsev Park, Minsk

Art Island in Komsomolskoye Lake in Minsk

The Art Island project is designed to create an interactive outdoor “museum” that will feature 14 sculptures reflecting various branches of modern Belarusian art. Visitors of the exhibition will be able to see unique art objects such as a bench looking like a clothes peg, a Babylon tower made of old beehives, “a frozen tune”, “a cheese chair”, an iron hockey player, a trash-art cat made of metal and screw nuts, a forged centaur, angel wings connected by a parachute… The authors of the unusual exhibits are 11 Belarusian artists: Konstantin Selikhanov, Piotr Kuzmich, Konstantin Kostyuchenko, Pavel Voinitsky, Valery Malakhov, Mikhail Shikov, Denis Barsukov, Vadim Matskevich, Tatiana Gomza, Igor Leontyev, and Viktor Aster. The project’s scale is also amazing: the total weight of the exhibits exceeds 20 tonnes while one of the works – the Stilt-Walker sculpture is six meters high.

When: 18 June – 14 September
Where: Komsomoltsev Island, Komsomolskoye Lake, Minsk

The silent cinema and music festival Kinemo 2015 in Minsk

The second open-air silent cinema festival in Minsk will treat viewers to world cinema masterpieces produced by outstanding movie directors like Donald Crisp, Buster Keaton, Tod Browning, Henryk Szaro, Frank Capra… Cinema fans are invited for a night of short films featuring the most prominent featurettes by Lotte Reiniger, Georges Melies, Charlie Chaplin, and Malcolm St. Clair. Following the established tradition live supporting music will be the flavor of the silent movies festival. Original and modern-interpretation compositions will be performed by modern Belarusian and foreign musicians: Tamara Serikova, Alexander Porokh, Jacek Sotomski, Vyacheslav Petko, the Fredericks ensemble and the Pafnuty’s Dreams ensemble…

When: 18 June – 16 July
Where: the courtyard of the Zair Azgur memorial museum, Minsk

Belarus Independence Day

The key national holiday – Independence Day – will take place this year under the aegis of the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. As part of the celebration a series of military history reconstruction featuring Belarus’ liberation from the Nazi invaders will take place in the historical and cultural complex Stalin’s Line on 3-5 July. Following the established tradition rallies will be held in the oblast and district capitals on 3 July, with wreaths and flowers placed at obelisks and war memorials. The festivities will begin with theatrical processions, sport and cultural events, fairs and exhibitions, mass merrymaking all over the country. Independence Day in Minsk will culminate in a major concert by Belarusian pop stars and a salute near the Minsk – Hero City stela. Apart from that, as part of the nationwide action Let’s Sing the National Anthem Together! thousands of Belarusians will gather in squares of towns and cities in order to sing the National Anthem as one country.

When: 3 July
Where: Streets, squares, public gardens, and avenues of Minsk and other cities and towns of Belarus

GreenFest 2015 music festival in Belarus

The large-scale open-air music festival will gather Belarusian and world-famous rock stars for the first time. The twice Grammy Award-nominated multi-platinum American rock band Papa Roach will headline the festival. They will perform their biggest singles and present their latest album F.E.A.R. released in January 2015 to hard rock fans. Over the years, Papa Roach have released a total of eight studio albums and sold more than 20 million album copies worldwide. The grand open-air show will also feature other bands representing different genres from rock and roll to indie rock and hip-hop such as Lumen (Russia), Colours of Bubbles (Lithuania), Elephants From Neptune (Estonia), Dai Darogu! (Belarus), Main-de-Gloire (Belarus), and Kipelov (Russia)…

When: 3 July
Where: Borovaya airfield, Minsk        

Gonaru Prodkau 2015 knights' festival in Vileika

The festival of knights’ culture will immerse its guests in the atmosphere of the times of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania of the 11-16th centuries. The renovated ancient part of Vileika with the castle in the Nizhny Park will be the main venue of the festival. The guests will learn about the life and culture in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and its neighboring countries, watch medieval battles, practice ancient crafts, participate in traditional games and entertainments, and take a tour of a military field camp. Besides, the program of the festival features theatrical performances, music concerts, a castle assault reenactment, buhurts, tournaments for archers, arbalesters, and halberdiers, and duels between armor-bearers. Children will enjoy fairy tales staged by the folk puppet theater Batleika. A concert of ethnic music and a fire show by Valentin Pavlyukevich will be the highlight of the festival.

When: 4 – 5 July
Where: Vileika, Minsk Oblast

Kupala Night festival Alexandria Gathers Friends

For the sixth time Alexandria will gather guests from Belarus, Russia, Ukraine and other countries to celebrate Kupala Night, one of the oldest folk holidays in Belarus. This year’s edition of the festival is dedicated to the Year of Youth. Its program features many events and creative projects, such as exhibition Our Ideas for You, Belarus!, program Youth. Traditions. Future, and the show Cornflower Summer… The guests will have a chance to see unique rituals, exhibitions, concerts, workshops by craftsmen, and take part in festive tastings of salo (cured pork fat), honey, and potato dishes. The highlight of the festival will be the first night of the musical Paparats Kvetka (fern flower) featuring Belarusian and Russian stars, such as People’s Artist of Russia Yekaterina Shavrina, Honored Artist of Russia Igor Kornelyuk, Eurovision 2013 finalist, Honored Artist of Belarus Alyona Lanskaya, and bands MBAND and Dinama that became famous after the TV projects Hochu k Meladze! (I want to work with Meladze) and Hochu v VIA Gru (I want to join VIA Gra).

When: 4 – 5 July
Where: the agro-town of Alexandria, Shklov District, Mogilev Oblast
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24th International Arts Festival Slavonic Bazaar in Vitebsk

This year’s edition of the international festival in Marc Chagall’s native city will gather a record number of participants from different countries. Representatives of 41 countries will compete for the main prize of the International Song Contest Vitebsk 2015. This year the forum will be themed around the Year of Youth in Belarus and the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory. The Summer Amphitheater will traditionally be the venue of the opening and closing ceremonies of the festival, the final concerts of the International Song Contest, and concerts “Belarus-Russia Union State Invites…”, “Golden Hit Songs: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow”, and “We Can’t Live Without Each Other” dedicated to Alexandra Pakhmutova and Nikolai Dobronravov. Famous singers Valeria, Grigory Leps, Valery Meladze, Irina Allegrova, Yelena Vayenga, and bands Bi-2 and Ruki Vverh will give solo concerts. The program of the festival includes exhibitions, theatrical projects Puppet Quarter and Theater Meetings 2015, street art festival On Seven Winds, and entertainment programs Parade of Smiles, Festival Without Borders, Еuropa plus TV. LIVE, Stars of Shanson TV…

When: 9 – 13 July
Where: Summer Amphitheater, theater and concert venues in Vitebsk
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Cherry Festival in Glubokoye

A traditional cherry feast will gather fans of this aromatic berry from CIS and non-CIS states in the well-known city of Glubokoye, where plant breeder Boleslav Lapyr developed the first winter-hardy varieties of cherry in Belarus. This year this unique festival which is the calling card of the district will present its guests with sport and youth projects and new events. The festival will open with a theatrical parade featuring the cherry queen, who will arrive in a “gold” carriage. The program of the festival will also include a photo exhibition Going to Glubokoye for Cherries and Not Only Berries…, a vernissage and a presentation of video films Cherry Capital, the sport marathon Cherry 2015, a culinary exhibition Cherry Abundance, a review competition Parade of Cherry Pies and Aromatic Liqueurs, concerts of folk bands and competitions.
 
When: 13 – 18 July
Where: Glubokoye, Vitebsk Oblast

Knights’ Festival. Mstislavl 2015

The medieval festival in the ancient Mstislavl, which is called “Belarusian Suzdal”, will invite its visitors on a tour to the epoch of noble warriors and historical battles. This year partaking in the forum will be representatives of over 20 knightly orders and reenactment clubs from Belarus and Russia. The festival will include jousting tournaments, horse and archers’ competitions, a two-army battle. The most spectacular event will be archers’ night assault of the castle. Guests of the festival will be invited to the consecration of the chapel built to commemorate Saint Duke Rostislav Mstislavovich, who founded the town of Mstislavl at the Castle Mount in 1135 and named it after his father Mstislav. The festival will also feature the Minsk street theater Vir, master classes in martial arts and medieval dancing, a town of craftsmen, contests and other events. The festival will be wrapped up with a concert featuring well-known Belarusian bands Lity Taler, Mlyn Sontsa and Stary Olsa and spectacular fireworks.

When: 17 – 19 July
Where: Mstislavl, Mogilev Oblast

Second International Aeronautics Championship in Minsk

The International Aeronautics Championship timed to the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, will gather about 70 professional aeronauts from Belarus, Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Moldova and Poland. They will demonstrate their skills in the morning and evening sport programs and exhibition shows. 40 colorful air balloons will soar into the skies above the Belarusian capital. The biggest of them is 4200m³. A great present to residents and guests of Minsk will be an unforgettable show Night Lights, with the huge domes of the air balloons lighting up to match popular tunes. 
 
When: 17 – 19 July
Where: Minsk, territory of Minsk 1 Airport

International Bard Music & Fishing Festival 

The international Bard Music & Fishing festival gathers outdoor activity enthusiasts, singers-songwriters and musicians from Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Poland and Germany on the shore of the Chigirinskoye Water Reservoir once again this year. The program will include fishing contests, a contest of bard songs “Guitar Rounds”, a beach volleyball tournament, the 1st International Competition of National Cuisines, and entertainment events. Among the guests of honor at the festival will be poet and composer, legendary bard songwriter Yuri Kim and famous poet, prose-writer and script writer Yuri Ryashentsev. They will perform well-known songs and humorous stories about the 1960s and 1970s. Besides, performing at the festival will be the virtuoso art trio Volnitsa and Russian jazzman Sergei Manukyan with the Minsk ensemble Diligence Jazz. A lottery campaign Let’s Restore Bykhov Castle will take place as part of the festival. The funds raised will be used to restore the unique architectural monument of the 17th century.
 
When: 24 – 26 July
Where: village of Grudichino, Bykhov District, Mogilev Oblast

100th anniversary of Marc Chagall and Bella Rosenfeld’s wedding

The festival Wedding Extravaganza of the Lovers Above the City in Vitebsk is timed to the important date in the life of one of the most famous and romantic couples in history - Marc Chagall and Bella Rosenfeld. The native city was an unflagging source of inspiration for the talented master of avant-garde of the 20th century. In a century after the wedding, on 25 July, a symbolic Jewish marriage ceremony chuppah will take place in Pokrovskaya Street in Vitebsk. Then the wedding procession will ride through the streets of the city. One of the main events of the festival will be the 25th International Chagall Readings which will bring together the best researchers of the creative legacy of the great artist from Belarus, Russia, Japan and the United States. Walking through the embellished streets of the city, Vitebsk residents and guests will enjoy the atmosphere of the past century, see the installations about Marc Chagall’s life and creative work, take part in theatrical performances and, possibly, meet with the couple. The program of the festival includes a photo project dedicated to the city of Marc Chagall, an exhibition of wedding arches and bouquets, a presentation of Irina Krasotskaya’a wedding dresses Muse, a presentation of the exhibition Fashion Verdict with Chocolate with the participation of famous fashion historian Alexander Vasilyev. The festival will be crowned by the light show Lovers Above the City and a gala concert at the Yakub Kolas Theater.

When: 24-26 July
Where: Marc Chagall Museum, Marc Chagall Art Center, streets, squares and parks of Vitebsk
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7th International Festival of Medieval Culture and Music Our Grunwald

One of the largest military-historical festivals in Belarus is dedicated to the famous Battle of Grunwald of 1410 which put an end to more than 200 years of aggression of the Teutonic Order against the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Partaking in the large-scale historical reconstruction will be Belarusian, Russian, Ukrainian and Polish clubs. The festival will have a versatile program with knights tournaments, battles of knights on foot and on horseback, archers tournaments, a big rock-n-roll and folk music concert Feast After the Battle… Apart from that, guests will have an opportunity to try on knight’s armor and take part in knights tournaments and historical fencing master classes, learn bow and crossbow shooting, enjoy medieval amusements.

When: 25-26 July
Where: ethnographic complex Dudutki, Minsk Oblast

Art Picnic Freaky Summer Party 2015 in Minsk

A large-scale project of the summer 2015 in Minsk invites for a creative picnic. All events will take place on the Art Island of Komsomolskoye Lake. The education section Edutainment will include lectures of art director of Art. Lebedev Studio Erken Kagarov and famous Minsk restaurateur Alexei Sadovy. The speakers will tell how to use the city space efficiently, share the secrets of doing business in the Belarusian capital. Apart from that, visitors of the event will enjoy art installations, street art master classes and a versatile entertainment program with concerts of Belarusian musicians, games, contests and parties.

When: 25 July
Where: the island of Komsomol, Komsomolskoye Lake, Minsk

VIVA BRASLAV 2015 Festival

Braslav District is the region of picturesque lakes and islands called “the blue necklace” of Belarus which is famous for excellent recreation and eco tourism facilities, hosts numerous bright festivals. A big festival of sport and music VIVA BRASLAV is traditionally held in July. It will start at the central beach of the town from the men and women’s beach football and volleyball competitions, extreme cross-country included in the Olympic program. In the evening the biggest music venue of Braslav will host a concert of famous artists and bands from Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. The Ukrainian band BoomBox, Dutch trance musician Mark Sixma and famous Russian DJ Alexander Popov will be the headliners of the festival. The music and sport marathon will be crowned by spectacular fireworks, fire and light shows.

When: 25 July
Where: Braslav, Vitebsk Oblast