Press releases

Belarus Events Calendar: MARCH 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

Fruits of the Earth exhibition in the National Art Museum of Belarus

Fruits of the Earth is a large-scale exhibition project that looks into the concept of fruits both in a sense of the results of the work of a person or a nation and also in a more general, universal one - divine gifts, symbols of wisdom, love and joy. The exhibition includes about 40 works by more than 30 artists of Belarus from the 18^th to the end of the 20^th century from the collections of the National Art Museum. The exhibition runs several sections: "Flowers and Fruits", "Garden of Eden", "Harvest", "Dialogue", "Life on the Table", "In the Style of Cezanne". Belarusian painters see the fruits of the earth - apples, pears, plums, pumpkins – as motives for creativity and experimentation.

When: 20 January - 5  March
Where: National Art Museum, 20 Lenin Street, Minsk

Rhythms of Africa program in the Belarusian State Circus

The Belarusian State Circus will launch the exotic program on 4 February: this time viewers will undertake a journey from the winter Minsk to the heart of the hot African continent! They will see new countries, get acquainted with the indigenous people, learn about their talents, abilities, hobbies and ways of life in a hot climate. Artists are winners of prestigious circus festivals and competitions in Monte Carlo (Monaco), Spain, France, Latin America.

When: 2 February – 23 April
Where: Minsk, Brest, Gomel, Grodno, Vitebsk

Exhibition project ‘AI: Artist or Machine?’ in Minsk

For the first time in Belarus, Minsk will host an art exhibition fully created with the use of technologies of the future. The innovative exhibition includes more than 90 pieces in 10 categories exploring the universe as nature, mythology, history, architecture... The project will culminate with the immersive film "Digital Evolution", which is a figurative rethinking of the world of ideas and the world of matter, a free artistic reflection on development and evolution. The organizers of the exhibition also offer a thematic quest and unusual photo zones for fans of insta-aesthetics.

When: 4 February – 9 April
Where: National Center for Contemporary Arts, 47 Nezavisimosti Avenue, Minsk

Mario Stefano Pietrodarchi in Mogilev

Mario Stefano Pietrodarchi is an outstanding Italian musician, a master of the accordion and bandoneon, winner of many national and international contests. He made his debut on the Belarusian stage in 2010. In July 2022 he became a member of the jury of the international song contest at the Slavianski Bazaar and performed together with the folk instruments orchestra named after the People's Artist of Belarus Leonid Ivanov under the baton of Denis Cherta. On the first day of spring, the Italian musician will give a concert in Mogilev.

When: 1 March
Where: Mogilev Regional Philharmonic, 10 Pervomaiskaya Street, Mogilev

Science and technology exhibition Intellectual Belarus in the Regions

Domestically produced electric cars, laptops, drones, space nanosatellites, cancer drugs were displayed at the science and technology exhibition Intellectual Belarus in Minsk in January. For just three days, it drew about 30,000 visitors. Due to the record high interest, the exhibition in the capital was extended for another week. Since February 2023, the exhibition has been traveling in the regions of the country. For example, in Gomel the exhibition attracted more than 50,000 visitors over the three days! The exhibition features achievements and developments by the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, educational institutions, public and private research organizations, and technology parks that are engaged in scientific research. The exhibition showcases more than 400 exhibits, including full-scale samples (including large-sized equipment), layouts, and multimedia presentations on large screens.

When, where:
3-5 March – Vitebsk, Football Arena, 12 General Lyudnikov Avenue
16-19 March– Grodno, Athletics Arena, 3 Kommunalnaya Street
24-26 March – Brest, Athletics Arena, 151 Moskovskaya Street

Kazyuki craft fair in Grodno

For decades, the Kazyuki craft fair has drawn hundreds of artisans, the carriers of original traditions from different countries and cities, and also lovers of handmade things. It is held annually in memory of Saint Casimir, the patron saint of youth and craftsmen (Prince Royal Casimir Jagiellon during his lifetime), on 4 March. In the canonical image, the Saint holds a lily flower or a palm branch in his hands. Therefore one of the attributes-symbols of the holiday in Belarus is a willow as in Palm Sunday. Starting last year, the Kazyuki fair began to shine a spotlight on a certain craft. In 2022 it was the artistic processing of wood. In the fair traditionally featured goods made of clay, straw, leather, metal, beads, glass ...

When: 4 March
Where: Sovetskaya Square, Grodno

International Women’s Day concert at Bolshoi Theater of Belarus

The Bolshoi Theater of Belarus is giving a festive concert dedicated to International Women’s Day. The audience will see leading soloists, laureates of international competitions who will be accompanied by a symphony orchestra led by conductor Yuri Karavayev. They will perform famous musical pieces, including works by Johann Strauss, Imre Kálmán, Jacques Offenbach, Rodolfo Falvo, Guido Maria Ferilli, Luigi Arditi, Charles-François Gounod, Franz Lehár, Cesare Andrea Bixio, Ástor Piazzolla, and Leonard Bernstein. The concert will feature People's Artists of Belarus Nina Sharubina, Vladimir Gromov, Anastasia Moskvina, Honored Artists of Belarus Yelena Bundeleva, Tatiana Tretyak, Oksana Yakushevich, Stanislav Trifonov, Andrei Valenty.

When: 4 March
Where: Bolshoi Theater of Belarus, 1 Paris Commune Square, Minsk

BUDEXPO 2023 international architecture and construction fair

BUDEXPO is a major showcase event for the country’s construction industry. The industry’s leading players will demonstrate their know-how and innovations, find new partners and conclude contracts. This year the event will be held for the 25^th time. Participants will include builders and developers, construction contractors, manufacturers and suppliers of equipment and materials, architectural bureaus and design companies. The exhibition will provide a platform to exchange best practices, discuss current problems, outline prospects for the future.

When: 15–17 March
Where: BelExpo National Exhibition Center, 14 Pobeditelei Avenue, Minsk

International Youth Theater Forum М@rt.contact in Mogilev

The International Youth Theater Forum M@rt.contact returns to the stages of Mogilev and invites the audience to see 19 performances from four countries - Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan and Bulgaria. The forum will open on 20 March with the performance Karenina by the Minsk project TriTformat that won the audience award last year. The forum will feature multiple genres, from classical performances to arthouse. The longest performance will be presented by the Gomel City Youth Theater. The six-hour production consists of two parts: Fahrenheit 451: the Path of Clarissa and Fahrenheit 451: the Path of Mildred. For the most part, the performances will be about the youth, for the youth and with the participation of the youth. The program will also feature master classes, meetings, and workshops of young directors. In addition to that, the organizers of the festival will open a new art space in the Mogilev Oblast Drama Theater.

When: 20–27 March
Where: Mogilev Oblast Drama Theater, Mogilev Oblast Puppet Theater, Mogilev Concert Hall

20th Minsk International Book Fair

The largest book fair in Belarus and the CIS will bring together leading book publishers, printers and distributors. The Year of Peace and Creation will define the concept of the upcoming fair. The theme of the fair “Boundless Book World” will be consonant with the ideas of peace and creation. Belarus’ national stand will showcase current trends in book publishing. One of the main sites will be arranged in a form of a makeshift studio where new books will be launched, and interviews, dialogues and debate with journalists will be held.

The Education Quarter will bring together authors of educational literature. The International Quarter will present new foreign books. Other major events at the fair will include the international symposium of writers “The Writer and Time”, a presentation of “Shelves of Intellectual Books” (these books will be later available in bookstores), the third LitUP literary startup project that has drawn more than 200 applications already.

When: 22–26 March
Where: BelExpo National Exhibition Center, 14 Pobeditelei Avenue, Minsk
More

Spring Calling rite at Belarusian skansen museum

The famous open-air museum in the village of Ozertso (Strochitsy) is gearing up to welcome guests with melodious springtime songs and merry dances. Every year the village hosts the Spring Calling rite, a unique and lyrical tradition to welcome this magical time of the year. According to the custom, young girls call for spring, the main heroine of the festivities, with spring songs, while others dance, have fun and laugh. The festival participants roll a wheel in the field for a good harvest and a fertile and generous year, jump on planks and toss lark-shape figurines made of dough high into the air. These birds, heralds of spring, are considered one of the main symbols of the festival, so lark-shaped figurines made of cardboard, fabric, colored ribbons and threads have been used by villagers to decorate trees and houses since ancient times.

When: 26 March
Where: Belarusian State Museum of Vernacular Architecture and Ethnic Heritage, the agro-town of Ozertso, Minsk District

Flax festival in Minsk

Flax is one of the most recognizable symbols of Belarus, and its delicate blue flowers are depicted on the state emblem. Belarus is among the world's top ten largest flax fiber producing countries. Flax is grown in 36 regions of the country. In 2022, the sown area of flax amounted to 44,300 hectares. The first big flax festival will be held in the Belarusian capital in 2023 to showcase new products from Belarusian flax processing plants and famous brands of light industry. “Flax Festival. Rodnaye Modnaye” will be a continuation of the Rodnae Modnaye project which was presented in six Belarusian cities as part of the second season of the nationwide festival Vytoki. A Step Towards Olympus and also at the international exhibition of light industry BelTexIndustry 2022. The festival will celebrate the best clothes designers, textile artists and authors of art objects made of flax. The festival program will also include training seminars, workshops, exhibitions and tastings.

When: 30 March-1 April
Where: Dinamo National Olympic Stadium, 8 Kirova Street, Minsk