Press releases

Belarus Events Calendar: OCTOBER 2024

Kinovek: Festival to Mark 100th Anniversary of Belarusian Cinematography

Belarus will celebrate the anniversary of the national cinematography with the national festival Kinovek, which will be held across the country. Throughout the year the festival will present 33 best films from the Belarusfilm studio, which tell the story of the national cinematography development. The festival will feature films of different genres - historical and social films, war and adventure films, and also famous children's films The Adventures of Pinocchio, My Name is Harlequino, War Under the Roofs, Nesterka. The festival opened with a screening of the restored silent film Forest Story (1926) directed by Yuri Tarich and based on Mikhas Charot’s The Swineherd.

When: 28 February – 11 December
Where: Cinema houses of Minsk, oblast and regional centers of Belarus

ARS MAGNA ORGANI 2024 chamber music festival

The ARS MAGNA ORGANI 2024 festival of organ and chamber music titled “The Great Art of the Organ” will play 56 free concerts in the new season. For this purpose, four historical organs will be used - in Pinsk, Medvedichy, Ruzhany and Novogrudok, as well as one electric organ in Ivanovo. Pinsk will offer the most extensive program with 23 solo organ concerts and 6 concerts of chamber orchestras and ensembles. Music will be performed in the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary where the second most historically significant organ in Belarus will be played. Performing skills will be shown by 27 musicians from Belarus, Russia, Austria and Hungary, 3 chamber groups, and participants in master classes that will be held as part of the festival.

When: 8 June – 13 October
Where: Pinsk, Medvedichi, Ruzhany, Ivanovo, Novogrudok

Autumn Salon 2024 in Minsk

With the onset of the most picturesque time of the year, the Palace of Arts will open an exhibition and sale of works by young Belarusian artists “Autumn Salon with Belgazprombank”. This event has been held since 2015. The exhibition will display works by artists aged 18 to 40 that were created over the past three years in any techniques and types of fine art. Visitors will be able to purchase paintings - more than 90% of them are available on artcenter.by, and also support the participants by filling out a special voting form.

When: 4 September – 20 October
Where: Palace of Arts, 3 Kozlova Street, Minsk

“Emotional Diary of Memory” by the Bolshoi Theater of Belarus

“Emotional Diary of Memory” is a grandiose creative project, which the Bolshoi Theater team presents in honor of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from the Nazi invaders. It involves the entire company of more than 300 people! The events of the Great Patriotic War are recreated to the music of their witnesses – composers who created their pieces in the 1950-1970s. The performance reflects both the pre-war days (the starting point is 1939, when the Bolshoi Theater got its own building on Troitskaya Hill) and the most terrible pages of the occupation of the country. The emphasis is on 1944, which became the year of liberation of Belarus, and, of course, the culmination - the triumph of the Victory. According to director Anna Motornaya, the performance is based on “the idea of turning documentary evidence into a piece that could reach (by means of expressive theatrical means such as music, choreography, word and voice, generalized actor's images, through emotional perception) the younger generation, make them think, and possibly change the worldview of modern man.

When, where:

22 and 29September, 18.00 – Bolshoi Theater of Belarus, 1 Paris Commune Square, Minsk
5 October, 19.00 – Brest Fortress Hero Memorial Complex, Brest
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Exhibition to celebrate 85th birthday of opera singer Svetlana Danilyuk

In the autumn of 1965, Svetlana Danilyuk, a graduate of the Kiev Conservatory, made her debut as Carmen in the Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater in Minsk. A year later she became the leading soloist and played almost all roles of the mezzo-soprano repertoire. She underwent a study course in La Scala in Milan under the direction of Margherita Carosio... The exhibition to celebrate the 85th anniversary of People's Artist Svetlana Danilyuk presents stage costumes of the artist, posters, photos of the productions featuring Svetlana Danilyuk.

When: 25 September-31  October
Where: Museum of History of Theater and Musical Culture, 5 Muzykalny Lane, Minsk
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‘Triumph’: A new program at Belarusian circus

“Triumph” on the arena of the Belarusian State Circus will feature a real constellation of artists from 19 countries, including Australia, Argentina, Italy, Ethiopia, Russia, Belarus, Moldova, Colombia, Israel, Finland, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Portugal, Hungary, DPRK, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Georgia. Minsk audiences will see the spectacular acts by prize-winners and laureates of the 3rd Minsk International Festival of Circus Art, which ended on 22 September with a grand gala concert.

When: 28 September – 1  December
Where: Belarusian State Circus, 32 Nezavisimosti Avenue, Minsk

 

TheatreHD: Broadcasts of the world’s best productions in Minsk

In the autumn 2024 the Minsk cinema houses will continue screening the world’s best productions, including drama, opera and ballet, and documentary films as part of the #АртЛекторийВкино project (art lectures on screen) about outstanding artists.

When: from 1 October
Where: Tsentralny cinema, Falcon Club Boutique Cinema, Mooon in Dana Mall and Palazzo shopping mall, Minsk

International Rhythmic Gymnastics Tournament for the Prizes of Marina Lobatch

The International Rhythmic Gymnastics Tournament has been held in Minsk since 2002. It is one of the highlights of the country's sports life. It was inspired and started by Marina Lobatch, a native of Smolevichi and the USSR's first Olympic champion in rhythmic gymnastics. She won gold in individual events at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. Today, she is an  acclaimed coach, mentor of the leader of the national rhythmic gymnastics team Alina Harnasko, who became the Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist and the 2021 world champion. Spectators will see famous gymnasts and enjoy spectacular performances in various events of the tournament.

When: 1–3 October
Where: Palace of Rhythmic Gymnastics, 112 Pobeditelei Avenue, Minsk

Sverdlovsk Musical Comedy Theater in Minsk

The Sverdlovsk Musical Comedy Theater has come to Minsk again, nine years after its successful tour in Belarus. This time it has brought almost its entire team – more than 150 people –  who include choir singers, ballet dancers, soloists, folk music group, children's studio. The tour opened with Dead Souls staged by Kirill Strezhnev. This production scored a large number of awards, including four Golden Mask awards! The audience will see a plethora of performances – from dramas (Dead Souls) to musicals (La Bayadère, Scarlet Sails, Masquerade, Buy a Pass to Paradise).

When: 24 September – 7 October
Where: Belarusian State Academic Musical Theater, 44 Myasnikova Street, Minsk

Сinemascope #shhh: French New Wave screenings at Monochrome

The Cinemascope #shhh project is opening its 2024 fall season. It continues to introduce viewers to the world's best movies. This time, evening screenings will not be held outdoors, but in the cozy Monochrome Space on Oktyabrskaya Street. Visitors will see the gems of the French New Wave – a film movement that rose to popularity in Paris in the late 1950s. The movement sought to allow directors to skip overwrought narrative in favor of improvisational storytelling. The films are shown in the original language with Russian subtitles.

When: 2 October – 6 November
Where: Monochrome Space, 16/3 Oktyabrskaya Street, 2nd floor, Minsk

Excursions into the backstage of the Bolshoi Theater of Belarus

How does the Bolshoi Theater live? What happens on stage in between performances? What secrets are kept on the other side of the curtain? You can find this out if you take an excursion into the backstage of the country's main theater. Guides will tell you about the bustling offstage life of the theater, the intricacies of creating props, costumes and scenery, stage installations, as well as the most interesting pages of the theater's history. On weekdays, visitors can see the fire curtain, watch preparations for evening performances, watch how massive scenery is created and talk to theatrical costume designers.

When: 2, 3, 8, 9, 16, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 30 and 31 October
Where: National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater of Belarus, 1 Parizhskoy Kommuny Square, Minsk

CIS Eurasia.DOC Documentary Film Festival

A record-high number of over 320 applications have been submitted to participate in the CIS Eurasia.DOC International Documentary Film Festival. The geography of participants expands every year. Filmmakers from Iran, Bangladesh, India, Türkiye and China have joined the documentary film forum this year. The short program will showcase 32 films from Belarus, Russia, other CIS and non-CIS countries. The event will also feature meetings with producers, round tables, discussion platforms on the Year of Quality, the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus, the country’s prospects in major regional integration projects, and counteraction to fake news.

When: 3-4 October
Where: Belarus cinema house, 28 Romanovskaya Street, Minsk
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Sergey Lazarev in Minsk

One of the most touring Russian singers Sergey Lazarev is bringing his new show I am not Afraid! to Minsk. The show premiered in autumn 2022, and since then the singer has given more than 150 concerts. The show will feature large-scale sets, captivating dances, bright-colored costumes, impressive lighting, live sound, amazing special effects, favorite hits, new songs and the singer’s exceptional charisma.

When: 5-6 October
Where: Palace of the Republic, 1 Oktyabrskaya Square, Minsk

CINEMA MEDLEY: Symphonic Show of Soundtracks at Minsk Arena

The Imperial Orchestra under the baton of conductor Lev Dunayev returns to Minsk to present a world soundtrack show. Hans Zimmer, John Williams, David Arnold, Ramin Djawadi, and Andrew Lloyd Webber are just a small part of the composers whose music has entered the history of the 20th and 21st centuries and will be performed in the Belarusian capital. The program will feature compositions from world-famous films. The audience will be taken on a journey through the history of world cinema, featuring more than 15 films, including Interstellar, Pirates of the Caribbean, Game of Thrones, Inception, Batman, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Schindler's List, Jurassic Park, The Phantom of the Opera, Gone with the Ghosts, La La Land...

When: 5-6 October (19.00 and 18.00)
Where: Minsk Arena, 111 Pobeditelei Avenue, Minsk

Magic Windmill arts and crafts fair in Minsk

Belarus’ largest handicraft exhibition, with a 13-year history, is held three times – in autumn, winter and spring. Traditionally, Charouny Mlyn [Magic Windmill] unites several hundred craftsmen, designers, artists, and masters of needlework from all over the country. The forum will showcase designer clothes and accessories, designer items for home decor (paintings and panels), goods for creativity and needlework, and also souvenirs and postcards, dolls and toys, and farm products. The crafts fair will also feature workshops, live music and fashion shows.

When: 11-13 October
Where: BelExpo Exhibition Center, 14 Pobeditelei Avenue, Minsk

Voice and Cosmos: Peruquois in Minsk

Australian singer Peruquois has been called a performer of the most feminine music, “the voice of life itself” and a musical phenomenon on a global scale. Peruquois is a former successful jazz singer who left the stage to study and develop various voice techniques. Today, she writes her own music. She boasts more than 15 albums and dozens of international concert tours. The singer admits that her music is not for entertainment: it “serves the deep needs of the soul, and it is important for her that people feel a deep immersion and live some inner journey”. Peruquois’ previous performance in Minsk in November 2019 was a sold-out show.

When: 13 October
Where: Prime Hall, 65 Pobeditelei Avenue, Minsk

Live Music of Cinema with ‘Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans’ film in Minsk

The Live Music of Cinema project of the State Chamber Orchestra under the baton of chief conductor Evgeny Bushkov starts a new season and will present the Oscar-winning Hollywood film, the classic of German cinema “Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans” (1927) directed by Friedrich Murnau. Music for this romantic drama, recognized as the best among silent films, was created by American composer Stephen Prutsman. He also wrote music for such works of the outstanding actor and director of the 20th century Buster Keaton as "Sherlock Jr." (1924), "Seven Chances" (1925), "College" (1927).

When: 16 October
Where: Tsentralny Cinema, 13 Nezavisimosti Avenue, Minsk

Symphony Orchestra IP ORCHESTRA with World Rock Hits in Minsk

The St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra IP ORCHESTRA conducted by Igor Ponomarenko, a famous musician and conductor) is successfully touring five continents. There are no barriers for the musicians in their musical experiments: the orchestra is known for its concerts with music of Vivaldi and Strauss, Piazzolla tangos, rock classics, music from domestic and foreign movies. This time the orchestra will present a program in trubite of such cult rock bands as Scorpions, Nirvana, Muse, AC/DC, Metallica, Rammstein.

When: 22 October
Where: Minsk Concert Hall, 5 Oktyabrskaya Street, Minsk

USA best jazz singer Sharon Clark in Minsk

Best jazz singer of the USA Sharon Clark will visit Belarus for the first time with the Masterpieces of Vocal Jazz program dedicated to six best jazz singers of the 20th century: Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae, Billie Holiday, Shirley Horn, Nancy Wilson. As a graduate of the world-renowned Berklee College of Music, Sharon Clark is a master of various styles of jazz, blues, soul, funk and gospel music. She is considered the best vocalist of the traditional vocal jazz school in the United States. She performs with Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, Richmond Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and Duke Ellington Orchestra. On the Belarusian stage Sharon Clark will perform with the JAZZinMINSK band directed by Evgeny Vladimirov, a jazz musician, producer, diploma winner of the National Commission for UNESCO "For services to Belarusian Jazz".

24 October – Minsk, Jazz-Club (1 Kalvariyskaya Street, Moulin Rouge hall)
25 October – Brest, Brest Oblast Philharmonic (14 Ordzhonikidze Street)
27 October – Minsk, Palace of Culture of Trade Unions (25 Nezavisimosti Avenue)