Press releases

Belarus Events Calendar: May 2016

Belarusian fashion and photo festival Fashion Mill

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: 22 May 2015 – May 2017
Where: Chelyuskintsev Park, Minsk

Vintage bicycles exhibition in Minsk

The international project “Whole life in one bicycle”, which was presented for the first time at EXPO 2015 in Milan, invites you to learn more about the history of a bicycle – a unique means of transport and one of the greatest inventions, which has made the life of European urban dwellers and villagers much easier. The visitors to the exhibition will learn many interesting facts about the life and daily routine of representatives of various professions: a priest, a doctor, a fireman, a baker, a milkman, a tailor and a barber, and the role which the bicycle played in their lives. The exclusive collection, with the youngest bike of about 60 years old, belongs to Maurizio Urbinati from Italy. He has been collecting vintage bicycles with an interesting story for the past four last decades.

When: 18 February – February 2017
Where: National History Museum, Minsk
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Talking Machines: History of Sound Recording

The exhibition invites you to travel back in time to the accompaniment of “talking machines” - mechanical record players, gramophones and phonographs – in the interiors of the old manor in Loshitsa. The collection of rarities where the oldest gramophone dates back to 1900 belongs to Igor Borisevich from Minsk. The exhibition features more than 50 record players of the late 19th - early 20th centuries from England, Switzerland, France, Germany and the United States. Many of them were manufactured by the well-known companies: Pathe, Edison Gem Phonograph, His Master’s Voice… All exhibits have been restored and are in a working order: visitors can learn interesting facts from the history of the inventions of Thomas Edison, the Pathe brothers and Emile Berliner and listen to their favorite tunes by playing the old machines.

When: 16 April – 9 December
Where: Loshitsa Park, Minsk

Forth Minsk Festival of Street Theaters

In early May, the Upper Town, the historical center of Minsk, will become the venue for street theaters from different countries. For three days Minskers will be enjoying more than 20 performances from Belarusian and foreign teams. For the first time the festival will feature masters of street art from the Berlin Theater Dulce Compania who show The Queen of Hearts. The festival will open with the Robinson performance by the Experimental Theater EYE based on the world-famous works of Dante, Defoe and Tournier. The festival wil conclude with the rock-performance “Malevich. Portrait in Two Dimensions” by the Youth Theater Wheel from Vitebsk.

When: 6 – 8 May
Where: Upper Town, Minsk

International expo of vintage and classic cars Retro Minsk 2016

In the run-up to the Great Victory celebrations the open-air car exhibition in the center of Minsk will bring together, for the ninth time, collectors and admirers of retro and classic car brands from around the world. A column of vintage cars will parade across the city from the Victory Square where participants will lay wreaths to the Victory Monument to the Museum of Aviation. The program of the forum will also include the visit to the Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War. During stops in the city squares everyone will be welcomed to take photos with the unique samples of the national and foreign car industries, among which are Rolls-Royce, Cadillac, Buick, Chevrolet, Lincoln, Cabrio, Ford, VAZ, Volga, Chaika and UAZ…

When: 6 – 8 May
7 May – Victory Square, Square of the State Flag of the Republic of Belarus, Palace of Sport, Borovaya airfield 

Water Tourism Festival Motol Regatta 2016

In early May Motol Regatta 2016 will gather amateur rowers from Belarus, Ukraine and Poland for the second season of outdoor activities on the river Yaselda. Participants of the two-day event shall cover a distance of 30km along the route Impenetrable Yaselda – from Sporovskoye Lake to Motolskoye Lake – with two stops: in the agro-town of Motol and the village of Busa. Last year the route was tested by crews from different countries, who dubbed this picturesque place as Motol Venice. Participants of the regatta shall have tourist kayaks or canoes, life jackets, tents, sleeping bags and food supply.

When: 7 – 8 May
Where: agro-town of Sporovo, Beryoza District, Brest Oblast; Motol Lake, Ivanovo District

Victory Day in Belarus

The anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, one of the most important days in the history of the 20th century, will be celebrated throughout Belarus. Parades with the participation of war veterans, wreath ceremonies at the memorials and monuments are the main events of the country’s celebrations. In the afternoon squares, streets and parks will host festivities and entertainment shows: sport competitions, art exhibitions and vernissages, fairs, concerts, theater plays and film screenings. The traditional fireworks, a symbol of the Great Victory in 1945, will light up the sky of Minsk and oblast cities at midnight.

When: 9 May
Where: squares, avenues, concert venues, parks of Minsk and other Belarusian cities

Ivan Karizna’s concerts in Belarus

Ivan Karizna, cellist and a finalist of the classic Eurovision Song Contest 2010, a laureate of the 14th International Tchaikovsky Competition, a graduate of the Conservatoire de Paris, will perform in Belarusian cities for the first time ever. The large solo concert will combine the greatest musical genres — Baroque, Classicism and Romanticism. The virtuoso performer will play famous works by Antonio Vivaldi, Joseph Haydn, Gabriel Faure and Robert Schumann accompanied by Muzzic Dom Orchestra conducted by Ivan Kostyakhin. By the way, Ivan Karizna plays a 19th-century violoncello presented to him by Vladimir Spivakov, who was the first one to foretell a great future to the young musician. Vladimir Spivakov compared Ivan Karizna with Mstislav Rostropovich. The cellist Mikhail Radunsky, who is a pupil of Vladimir Perlin and a scholarship holder of the Belarus president’s foundation for gifted students, will also take part in the performance.

When, where:

11 May - Baranovichi, the Hall of the Baranovichi State University
12 May - Grodno, Grodno Oblast Drama Theater

Mass Media in Belarus Expo

The international mass media forum will gather in Minsk representatives of printed media, TV channels, radio stations, the biggest news agencies and Internet portals of Belarus and other countries. The exhibition will traditionally feature the most interesting and popular projects, and also cutting-edge technologies in the media sector. The 20th edition of the expo will mark the 25th anniversary of the Commonwealth of Independent States. One of the central events of the exhibition will be the forum titled Partnership for the Future. 25 Years of the CIS. Guests of the exhibition will be invited to attend presentations, seminars and master classes featuring well-known journalists and experts. The awards ceremony of the national print media competition Zolotaya Litera (Golden Letter) will be held during the expo.

When: 11 – 14 May
Where: BelExpo National Exhibition Center, Minsk
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Pianist Kirill Keduk in Minsk

Winner of the Vladimir Horowitz international competition for young pianists, laureate of 15 international contests, the founder of the TyzenHouse Festival in Grodno Kirill Keduk will present a solo program in Minsk as part of a series of concerts Volkswagen Power of Classics. The Belarusian virtuoso has performed with famous orchestras of Russia, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and the USA. In 2013, the pianist released his debut album My Polish Diary recorded with Delos Records, one of the most respectable recording companies cooperating with tenor Dmitri Hvorostovsky. The concert in Minsk will feature the music of Franz Schubert, Ludwig van Beethoven, Frederic Chopin, Maurice Ravel, Karol Szymanowski…

When, where:

12 May – Minsk, Upper Town concert hall
17 May - Brest, Brest Academic Drama Theater

25th Belarusian fashion and photo festival Fashion Mill

The final of the national contest Fashion Mill 2016 will bring together famous Belarusian and foreign designers as well as new names in the fashion industry – young designers, photographers, models and stylists from all over the country. Belarusian designers will present over 80 collections. The best collections will be chosen by the guests of the forum, namely international experts, fashion and design specialists from Russia, Latvia, Germany, Italy, and Malaysia. The gala show will feature new pret-a-porter collections of renowned designers from Minsk, Moscow, Riga, Milan, Rome, Munich, Cologne, and Kuala Lumpur. Apart from the haute couture fashion shows, the festival will have a versatile educational program with presentations, seminars, master classes with renowned fashion designers.

When: 12-13 May
Where: Sports Palace, National Children’s and Youth Art Center, Minsk

9th International Puppet Theater Festival

The international forum will bring together the best theater companies from Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Poland, and Israel. The five-day forum will feature 14 productions, many of which are based on the world classics. Belarusian puppet theater productions, including Mandragora, the premiere of the Minsk Regional Puppet Theater Batleika, will be in the spotlight. The program will also include Karlsson Haus’ production Vanya (the winner of the Golden Sofit 2015 theater award), and the production Kill Karol of the Penza Region Puppet Theater (the four-time winner of the Russian Golden Mask award). The program of the Minsk forum will also include meetings with the audience and critics, the concert of theater music Puppet Rock ‘n’ Roll.

When: 13-17 May
Where: Belarusian State Puppet Theater, New Drama Theater, Belarusian Children’s Theater, Belarusian State Youth Theater, Yanka Kupala National Academic Theater, Minsk
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Retro Salon in Mir Castle

The retro salon of the early 20th century in the magnificent Mir Castle, which is inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List, will be a true treat for jazz music lovers. The residence of the Wittgensteins and the Svyatopolk-Mirskys will welcome elegant ladies and courteous gentlemen dressed in the fashion of the 1920-2930s. The program of the event will feature all the elements of this unforgettable era, namely jazz music, compelling dances, photo sessions in the interiors of the 1920-2930s, and silent movie sessions. The retro salon will also include a night tour of the magnificent castle halls and a contest for the most stylish and elegant couple of the night.

When: 14 May
Where: Big Conference Hall, Mir Castle

Rock opera Juno and Avos in Belarus

Alexei Rybnikov’s theater is back in Minsk with the legendary rock opera Juno and Avos. The rock opera has been staged for 30 years already, with tickets always sold out. Spectators fell in love with the production thanks to the tremendous success of Mark Zakharov’s show in the Moscow theater Lenkom, with Nikolai Karachentsov and Yelena Shanina starring. The touching and tragic story of love between the Russian count Nikolai Rezanov and Conchita, a daughter of the San Francisco governor, is still relevant years later and has become one of the most famous rock operas of our time. The performance will feature the theater’s top artists such as Valery Anokhin, Natalya Krestyanskikh, Nikolai Drozdovsky, Yekaterina Solovyeva, Nikita Pozdnyakov.

When, where:

20-21 May – Palace of the Republic, Minsk
22 May – The Community Center of Railway Workers, Gomel

Painter and the City. An exhibition of reproductions by Valentin Gubarev

The Painter and the City project has become famous thanks to reproductions of pictures by the great artists such as Marc Chagall, Kazimir Malevich, and Nikolai Seleshchuk. You are cordially invited to get familiar with the art of an outstanding contemporary, a representative of Belarusian naive art Valentin Gubarev. For two decades his works have been on display in the famous French gallery Les Tournesols while staying largely unknown to the general public in the home country. The open-air exhibition will feature reproductions of 30 pictures that resemble caricatures. The pictures reflect the everyday life of provincial towns and their residents. According to the painter himself, he likes the spirituality of common folks, who build their life according to their own passions and interpretations of beauty

When: 26 May – 9 September
Where: Yakub Kolas Square, Minsk

J. Seven in Minsk

The popular Israeli musician masterfully plays many instruments such as saxophone, Spanish guitar, recorder and drums and uses the stage name of J. Seven. His career features solo concerts, performances as part of a pop song and symphonic orchestra and a world music show. As part of the concert program Melodies of Love in Minsk he will present the world’s best hits from the repertoire of Ennio Morricone, Stevie Wonder, Joe Dassin, Fausto Papetti, James Horner…

When: 26 May
Where: The Belarusian Army’s Drama Theater, Minsk

Alexander Serov in Minsk

The famous singer and composer, arranger, People’s Artist of Russia Alexander Serov has won hearts of many generations thanks to his voice and touching compositions about love. Thanks to the manner of performance that turns every song into a monologue confession he has been granted an unofficial title of the “singer of love”. Over the course of over 40 years of his career Alexander Serov has released over 20 studio albums. Their best compositions will feature in the large solo concert in the Belarusian capital. The number will include the golden hits of the 1970-1980s — Madonna, I Love You So Strong I Cry, You Love Me, What am I to Do, Susanne, and Star Shower…

When: 31 May
Where: Palace of the Republic, Minsk