Press releases

Belarus Events Calendar: June 2017

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

International expo "Ultima ratio regum. Belarus in the Northern Wars in the mid 17th – early 18th centuries”

A large-scale international project, which took two years to prepare, brought together the largest galleries of Belarus, Lithuania and Sweden such as the National History Museum, the Sela Birzai Region Museum and the Army Museum, Stockholm. The slogan "Ultima ratio regum" was not an accidental choice as a war considered to be an ultima ratio in interstate conflicts, and this inscription was featured on the French cannons since the Louis the Thirteenth. Visitors to the Mir Castle Complex will make a journey into the time of the Northern Wars which happened in the center of Europe in the middle of the 17 - early 18th centuries and which involved such powerful nations as Rzeczpospolita, Sweden and Russia. The exposition features engraved portraits, plans, maps, coins, medals and military banners, inclduing the banner of Hetman Krzysztof Radziwill.

When: 21 April – 24 September
Where: Mir Castle Complex, Grodno Oblast
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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

Great Rembrandt exhibition in Minsk

A large-scale project "Great Rembrandt" invites art lovers to enjoy original etchings by the greatest representative of the Dutch Golden Age. The exhibition includes 69 original Bible-themed etchings, genre scenes and portraits from Eliza Moretti’s private collection. Rembrandt studied graphics all his life. It took him years to create some of his masterpieces. The gem of the collection is the famous etching "Christ Healing the Sick" that the artist worked on for 7 years! The size of the miniatures is amazing: one of the largest of them, "Jesus before Pilate", is only several tens of centimeters large.

When: 5 May – 3 July 
Where: National Art Museum, Minsk
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New program in Belarusian circus

The new program Nebyvalshchina (Fantastic Story) in the Belarusian circus offers an array of entertainment routines, breath-taking stunts, amazing animal acts, and comic performances. The new show also features acrobats on swings, aerialists, comic acrobats, the folklore and acrobatic group Rusichi under the lead of Honored Artist of Russia Igor Mayorov, and the clown, Honored Artist of Russia Andrei Averyushkin. The special draw of the show will be the unique routine by Honored Artist of Russia Sergo Samkharadze, who was the first in the world to have tamed buffaloes so that they let predators to ride on their backs.  

When: 26 May – 30 July
Where: Belarusian circus, Minsk

Golden Bee children’s festival

The international festival "Golden Bee" will gather about 700 young talents from eight countries: Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Finland. The famous children's music forum, which was founded in 1996 to mark the International Children’s Day, has become a landmark event for many performers. Among them is Ksenia Sitnik, the winner of Eurovision Junior Song Contest 2005, Anna Mushak, a participant of the Main Stage popular TV show; Andrei Kunets and Lydia Zablotskaya, prizewinners of the Eurovision Junior Song contests. By tradition, the main events will be the  vocal and choreography competitions in the junior and senior age categories. In addition to the competition program, the festival will feature an extensive entertainment program. The event will wrap up with a festive procession, an awards ceremony and a gala concert in the town park.

When: 1-4 June
Where: Klimovichi, Mogilev Oblast
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Belarusian Song and Poetry Festival

The national festival of Belarusian song and poetry Maladzechna will gather young talented performers from different parts of the country at the Summer Amphitheater for the 17th time. This year the forum will celebrate the 135th birthdays of outstanding Belarusian writers Yakub Kolas and Yanka Kupala. By tradition the forum will kick off with a song competition that will feature the songs of Belarusian composers and poets of different times. Guests of the festival will be invited to a premiere of the program "Kupala and Kolas, You Brought Us Up" by the National Academic Concert Orchestra under the baton of maestro Mikhail Finberg. Syabry band will give a concert to mark its 45th anniversary. The Kupala Theater will treat the audience to its Pavlinka play, a calling card of the Belarusian dramaturgy.

When: 2 – 3 June
Where: Palace of Culture, Summer Amphitheater, Molodechno
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Green Svyatki folk festival in Strochitsy

The Belarusian Museum of Vernacular Architecture and Ethnic Heritage invites amateurs of authentic culture and ancient rites to Green Svyatki, a series of feast rites traditionally held to welcome the summer and celebrate one of the most important days on the church calendar Troitsy (Syomukhi in Belarusian). On this day the Belarusian forefathers celebrated the nature blossom with songs, round dances, and of course, fortunetelling. First flowers and birch branches (a symbol of life) have always played an inseparable part of the festivities. Visitors to the country’s only museum-skansen will be able to see the reconstruction of the ancient rite, visit a master-class on wreath braiding, enjoy folk music and buy souvenirs.

When: 3 June
Where: Belarusian Museum of Vernacular Architecture and Ethnic Heritage, village of Ozertso, Minsk District

Motol Regatta 2017

On the first summer days the water tourism festival Motol Regatta will open a new water season on the river Yaselda and welcome in the agro-town of Sporovo kayak and canoe amateurs from around the country and abroad. The water track was first tested by foreign tourists in 2015. They called it Motol Venice then. Participants will cover the 48km distance from Sporovskoye Lake to Motol Lake, and pass the agro-town of Motol and the village of Bussa. The crew clocking the best time will be announced the winner. Participants will also be invited to join sports competitions and entertainment: beach volleyball, orienteering, darts, canoeing and bike riding, a tourist song competition…

When: 3 – 4 June
Where: Sporovo agrotown, Bereza District, Motol Lake, Ivanovo District, Brest Oblast

Street food festival in Minsk

The third edition of the street food festival in the Belarusian capital will gather enthusiasts of delicious fast food that, as the organizers argue, can be both affordable and of a high quality. For one day, the area next to the Minsk Sports Palace will turn into a food court featuring different cultures and cuisines. Visitors will be invited to go on virtual tours of different countries, learn how nice simple dishes are cooked, taste some already prepared culinary masterpieces, and attend workshops by chefs from Belarusian cafes and restaurants. The visitors will be treated to a wide choice of street food, from the regular hot dogs and burgers, to the famous Belarusian draniki in different variations and other treats with a local feel, including falafel, Hungarian spit cake, roasted chestnuts, and sushi.

When: 10 June
Where: Minsk Sports Palace, Minsk
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Jazz Nights at Minsk Town Hall

The international music project that has already become a traditional summer event for the Belarusian capital will once again gather jazz enthusiasts and world-famous musicians at the heart of the old part of Minsk. The festival in the capital’s Svobody Square has been attracting a growing army of fans year-on-year: in 2016, the show of the US band The Jazz Ambassadors alone was attended by a 10,000-strong crowd! The bill of this year’s edition of the festival features performers from Poland, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and the United States. The lineup is kept a secret. However, it is already known that one of the highlights will be a concert by the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Belarus conducted by Igor Bukhvalov from New York.

When: 10, 17, and 24 June
Where: Svobody Square, Minsk

Golden Spur 1812 festival

The Golden Spur festival invites visitors to go on a captivating journey into the past and dive deep into the atmosphere of the 19th century. For one day visitors will be able to see up close and personal important historic events of the Great Patriotic War of 1812. The reconstruction of the assault launched by the French marshal Louis-Nicolas Davout in Belarusian lands will be the highlight of the event. Apart from battle scenes the festival will feature cavalry competitions, a saber tournament based on duels, infantry competitions, a grandiose emergence of a mounted hunting party with borzoi dogs, gentry picnics, folk dancing and a fair, and a sampling of the national cuisine in a Belarusian tavern followed by a fashion show featuring the styles of the past. The festival will end with a final battle, in which about 50 horsemen will participate.

When: 11 June
Where: The village of Mezhdurechye, Volozhin District, Minsk Oblast
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Ballet Summer in Bolshoi Theater project

The Summer Ballet Festival 2017 in the Bolshoi Theater of Belarus will once again feature an exclusive program based on the best classic opera and ballet pieces. The international forum will begin with the legendary Swan Lake by Piotr Tchaikovsky. Starring in the Swan Lake will be ballet soloists of the National Opera of Ukraine Anastasia Shevchenko and Stanislav Olshansky as well as Nino Samadashvili from the Georgian Opera and Ballet Theater and Igor Kolb from the Mariinsky Theater. For the first time visitors will be invited to get familiar with the best classic and modern productions by one of Kazakhstan’s leading dance troupes – the Astana Ballet Theater. The festival will end with a gala concert of world ballet stars featuring famous artists from Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Poland, and Germany…

When: 11–18 June
Where: The Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater of Belarus, Minsk
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Open air event on Kupala Night

You are invited to visit the famous museum of ancient crafts and technologies Dudutki for one of the most memorable open-air summer festivals dedicated to the Belarusian holiday of Kupala Night on a June weekend. Visitors will be able to see a reconstruction of the ancient rite on the picturesque bank of the Ptich River. They will be able to attend lectures on Belarusian mythology and the history of the holiday, workshops on making puppets and protective amulets, on making wreaths. Visitors will be able to enjoy vivid performances by music bands, street theaters, and fire eaters. Apart from that, visitors will be invited to venture into interesting art zones: a village square, an ethnic venue, an artisan workshop, a crafts fair, a tavern, interactive zones… The festival will culminate in a magnificent firework and an open-air concert featuring prominent folk music and folk rock bands such as Stary Olsa, Irdorath, Pawa, BY CRY, Rokash, Hardwood, PLEMЯ, Ketri, ВСЁ CRAZY…

When: 17–18 June
Where: Dudutki Museum, Pukhovichi District, Minsk Oblast

Bolshoi Theater Evenings at the Radziwill Castle

The leading artists of Belarus’ Bolshoi Theater will perform opera and ballet masterpieces at the summer open air at the legendary Radziwill Castle in Nesvizh, one of Europe’s most luxurious palaces and park ensembles. In 2017 the program is going to be especially eventful, featuring ballet and opera shows, concerts, art evenings, and exhibitions. The forum’s main events will be held in different venues: the halls and courtyard of the Radziwill Castle as well as the Nesvizh Corpus Cristi Church and the Nesvizh Town Hall that traditionally hosts academic and organ music concerts.

23 June
Belarusian Classicism concert.
The Corpus Christi Church, Nesvizh
Giselle, ou les Wilis ballet.
The Radziwill Castle courtyard

24 June
To Love All Ages Yield Surrender concert featuring opera singers and the Serenada string quintet.
The Radziwill Castle Theater Hall
The opening night of the Cavalleria Rusticana opera.
The Radziwill Castle courtyard

25 June
Viva La Mamma! opera.
The Radziwill Castle Theater Hall
Radziwill Ball gala concert conducted by Andrei Galanov.
The Radziwill Castle courtyard

When: 23-25 June
Where: the National Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve Nesvizh, Minsk Oblast
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22nd international festival of spiritual music Magutny Bozha (Almighty God)

Magutny Bozha 2017 festival will make part of the celebrations timed for Mogilev’s 750th anniversary. The festival’s program features concerts of classic music and change ringing, theater performances, conferences, exhibitions of spiritual literature, "meet the artist" events and workshops as well as traditional vocal and choir competitions. This year the symphony orchestra and choir of the Mogilev City Chapel will perform Requiem by the renowned organist and composer Osip Kozlovsky in the artist’s birthplace, Slavgorod. The Sistine Chapel Choir, one of the world’s oldest choirs, is set to give a performance, too.

When: 26 June–3 July
Where: Mogilev
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14th international folk art festival Wreath of Friendship

The international folk art festival Wreath of Friendship will bring together representatives of 25 countries, including such newcomers as Norway, Hungary, Greece, and Japan, in the 2017 Capital of Culture of Belarus – the town of Bobruisk. Throughout its history, the festival has been attended by 245 performers from 38 countries. And there is more to come! The fascinating festival will open with a dramatized procession along the central streets of the town. The program of the festival will also include concerts and creative meetings, a traditional evening of friendship with a presentation of national food and drinks, the contest of wreaths symbolizing the festival, and an exhibition of souvenirs. Guests of the festival will enjoy dramatized performances and entertainment shows, artisan fairs, the tasting of various cuisines…

When: 29 June-3 July
Where: Bobruisk, Mogilev Oblast