Press releases
Belarus Events Calendar: SEPTEMBER 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
Nationwide film campaign to mark 80th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus
In honor of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from the Nazi invaders, the best Belarusian and Soviet films about the Great Patriotic War made in different years will be shown in cinema houses across the country. The playbill of the commemorative campaign includes Belarusian feature films, 16 documentaries, the best Soviet films by Mosfilm and other film studios. It is expected that the patriotic campaign will hold more than 2,800 film screenings both in cinema houses and other cultural institutions.
When: February 24 to September 2024
Where: cinema houses of Minsk, regional and district 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
Summer tourist season 2024 in Minsk: Excursions in Upper Town
The 2024 summer tourist season in Minsk opened with a marathon of tours on foot around the old town. Every Saturday (13.00 and 15.30) groups (up to 15 people) depart from the Minsk Town Hall. Walking along the narrow streets, guests get acquainted with the sights, learn more about the history of majestic temples (the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Archcathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary), former complexes of Basilian and Bernardine monasteries, the Town Hall as a symbol of city self-government, Gostiny Dvor, and the place of an ancient castle of the 12th century. Exploring the heritage of the historical center, an excursion will take you along Nemiga Street and Rakovskaya Street to Yubileinaya Square and into the Minsk of the 19th century as the walk proceeds into Rakov Suburb. The tour will end with a visit to the cellars of the former Uniate Church of the Holy Spirit.
When: 8 June – 14 September
Where: Minsk Town Hall, 2a Svobody Square, Minsk
Exhibition in National Center for Contemporary Arts
The exhibition featuring the paintings by modern Belarusian authors from the holdings of the National Center for Contemporary Arts is themed around the topic "Visualizations. Surface and Sign". The exhibition also includes pieces by Russian artists Anna Kondratieva, Anna Kanfer and Alexei Parfyonov, created in 2022 at the international plein air dedicated to the 140th anniversary of the birth of the People's Poets of Belarus Yanka Kupala and Yakub Kolas. A separate project presents bookplates by the German graphic artist Erhard Beitz. Interestingly, in general the National Center for Contemporary Arts of Belarus holds more than 1,700 bookplates donated by artists and collectors from 34 countries of the world!
When: 26 July - 5 September, Wednesday - Sunday (from 12.00 to 20.00)
Where: National Center for Contemporary Arts, 3 Nekrasova Street, Minsk
Belarusian Written Language Day in Ivatsevichi
Belarusian Written Language Day has been held 30 times in 26 towns across the country. Some of the towns hosted this festival two or three times, like Polotsk, Belarus’ oldest town and the cradle of Belarusian statehood. This year, the event will be held in Ivatsevichi, Brest Oblast. The program provides for more than 70 events.
Ivatsevichi was first mentioned in chronicles in 1519 as the Yundils estate, and the name of the settlement itself came from the name of its founder – Ivach.
Belarusian Written Language Day will begin with the scientific and educational expedition "Road to the Shrines" along the route Minsk - Svyatoye Pole (Baranovichi District) - Lyakhovichi - Pinsk - Ivanovo - Drogichin - Beloozersk - Ivatsevichi. There will be numerous interactive sites in the town; the country's leading museums will present their expositions. The Book and Press Festival will feature four thematic pavilions: Modern Belarus, Belarus Remembers, Words of a Writer and Made in Belarus. Here visitors will see Belarus’ best publications that have won national and international awards. Presentations, autograph sessions and meetings with authors will be held at the “Words of a Writer” site.
When: 31 August – 1 September
Where: Ivatsevichi, Brest Oblast
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 – 13 October
Where: Palace of Arts, 3 Kozlova Street, Minsk
Grodno City Day
The city of kings and the western bastion of the country preserved its unique buildings despite numerous devastating wars. Grodno traces its history back to 1128, when it was first mentioned in the Hypatian Codex as the center of a principality.
The celebration to mark the city's birthday will kick off on 7 September with 11 interactive venues arranged in the historical quarters. The art festival “City Flowers” will open on Tyzenhaus Square, and fashion shows will be held on Lenin Square. Graffiti artists will be painting landscapes of Grodno on a huge wall on Dzerzhinsky Street throughout the day. Visitors will certainly enjoy a spectacular water-neon show in the Swiss Valley in the evening (from 20:00 to 24:00).
Guests will be able to see street musicians and human sculptures on the pedestrian Sovetskaya Street, visit the Batleyka Theater Festival, and try the best cheeses from all over the country at the Cheese Festival. The evening program will open with a concert by Stas Piekha to be followed by fireworks at 22:00. The celebrations will wrap up with performances by cover bands and DJs.
When: 7 September
Where: Grodno
Science Festival in Minsk
Thousands of visitors are expected to flock to the Botanical Garden in Minsk for the country's biggest popular science event - Science Festival. For example, last September, the attendance exceeded 20,000 people! By tradition, more than a hundred academic organizations, universities and industry giants will showcase their latest products and solutions. The festival will feature several thematic areas - healthcare, environment, space, robotics, sci-fi zones, food industry. The program will include lectures, master classes, quizzes, games, expositions, and scientific shows.
When: 7 September, 11:00 to 19:00
Where: Central Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 2v Surganova Street, Minsk
Minsk Half Marathon 2024
The Minsk Half Marathon, with its history of more than 10 years, is Belarus’ largest sporting event uniting both professional athletes and amateur runners. Last year, 15,000 people from 17 countries took part in this sporting event! Minsk Half Marathon offers three distances - 5km, 10.5km and 21.097km. The Corporate Race (3х5km + 6,097km) will feature teams of four runners. Three of them run 5km each, with the fourth covering 6.097km. Every team must have at least one woman. The Family Run is open to young participants aged 0 to 12 years old who run a distance of 1.5km together with their parents.
When: 8 September
Where: Dinamo National Olympic Stadium, 8 Kirova Street, Minsk
92nd season at the Bolshoi Theater of Belarus: The Tsar's Bride
The new season at the Bolshoi Theater will open with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's masterpiece - the opera The Tsar's Bride. In 2024 it will be 125 years since the opera premiered in Moscow in November 1899. The work is also one of the first operas staged in Minsk in 1933. Back then Larisa Alexandrovskaya played the part of Lyubasha. Five years later a new company took up the play. The third production was staged in 1950. Within a span of 59 years, the play saw several generations of brilliant theater artists. The audience will see the 2015 production by director Mikhail Panjavidze and artist Alexander Kostyuchenko, who received the Special Award for Culture and Art. Their Tsar's Bride won the National Theater Award, becoming the best opera production of 2016.
When: 8 September
Where: Bolshoi Theater of Belarus, 1 Parizhskoi Kommuny Sq., Minsk
International Theater Festival Belaya Vezha in Brest
The International Theater Festival Belaya Vezha (White Tower) 2024 will bring together 23 theater companies from nine countries - Azerbaijan, Belarus, Denmark, Kazakhstan, Poland, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Genre palette abounds with variety - from comedy, drama and melodrama to experimental, plastic and musical productions, as well as puppet theater performances. This time the festival playbill will mostly feature productions based on classical literature. The languages will include Belarusian, Russian and Komi. The 28th theater forum will open with the Fathers and Children play directed by Sergei Shchedrin, Brest Academic Drama Theater.
When: 10-15 September
Where: Brest Academic Drama Theater, Brest Oblast Public and Cultural Center, Brest Puppet Theater, Trade Unions Palace of Culture
Sozhki Karagod International Dance Festival
Sozhski Karagod International Festival is a feast of choreography, a cultural brand of the region that turned Gomel into the dance capital of Belarus. The atmosphere of friendship, peace and mutual understanding will unite the connoisseurs of choreography from near and far abroad in the city above the Sozh River for the 11th time. This year the Gomel festival coincides with the celebrations of the city’s 882nd anniversary (14 September). The guests of the opening ceremony will be the White Dews Honored Ensemble of Belarus, the Pesnyary State Ensemble, the Cossack ensemble Batka Ataman, the State Academic Dance Ensemble of Belarus, as well as Honored Artist of Belarus Irina Dorofeeva and the Aura band.
13 September
20.30 - Grand opening of the 11st International Dance Festival Sozhski Karagod (1 Vosstaniya Square)
14 September
from 9.00 - modern and pop dance contests; circus art groups
11.00 - festivals of national cuisine, flowers, street food
11.30 - City Day, a festive parade of stylized vehicles and a procession of festival participants
20.30 - Fire Festival
19.30 - night show featuring Belarusian and Russian pop stars
When: 9-15 September
Where: Gomel, Tsentralny Stadium, Gomel Oblast Public and Cultural Center, Gomel Cultural Center
Minsk turns 957: A big celebration of the main city of the country
On the second weekend of September the Belarusian capital city of Minsk will celebrate the 957th anniversary of the first time it was mentioned in chronicles with a grand festival. According to the ancient Tale of Bygone Years, on 3 March 1067 a legendary battle took place on the Nemiga River in Mensk (Minsk’s ancient name) between the armies of Polotsk Prince Vseslav the Wizard and the dynasty of Yaroslavichs.
In August 2024 during an archaeological research at the Menka River scientists unearthed unique finds that allow them to question the previous date - the rampart of a large settlement and a number of wood and earth fortifications, indicating that in the 990s the city was fairly large and developed and had powerful fortifications.
The capital will celebrate the birthday in a new format: the festive program will be divided into blocks and locations, including a venue for family celebrations, a youth venue with performances of popular singers and DJs, a sport venue, and a historical venue. For the first time the main festivities will not be concentrated outside the Palace of Sports.
When: 14 September
Where: Cultural, sport and entertainment venues of the city of Minsk
The Apple Fest in Dotishki festival
Dotishki is famous for its apples because the place has a large orchard, which occupies tens of hectares. The festival will open with a costumed procession led by the hostess: the generous Apple Tree with plump apples. The best gardeners will be honored at the ceremony as well. Apple compositions will become nominees of the Apple Miracle contest. The guests will taste local varieties of apples, desserts made of this vitamin-rich fruit, learn from the masters of the agrotown to create confectionery and baked goods with apples and will also take away an original apple recipe from the Tasty Cooking exhibition as a souvenir.
When: 15 September
Where: The agrotown of Dotishki, Voronovo District, Grodno Oblast
The 3rd Minsk International Circus Art Festival
Founded in 2017, the Minsk International Circus Art Festival will gather artists from 19 countries in the Belarusian capital, including artists from Australia, Argentina, Italy, Ethiopia, Russia, Belarus, Moldova, Colombia, Israel, Finland, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Portugal, Hungary, North Korea, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Georgia. Famous producers, directors and circus directors have been invited to act as judges and guests of honor. Performances of artists will be held in programs A and B, after which the expert judges will name participants of a gala concert. According to results of the competition program, winners of this year’s festival will receive the main awards – the Grand Prix, two golds, two silvers, two bronzes and, of course, one of the most expensive - the Audience Choice Award.
When: 19-22 September
Where: Belarusian State Circus, 32 Nezavisimosti Avenue, Minsk.
The 2nd regional festival September Fest. Palace in Zhilichi
With the arrival of the picturesque autumn the revived monument of architecture of the classicism epoch of the 18-19 centuries - the palace once owned by the noble Bulgakov family - opens its halls to guests of the festival. Nowadays it is often called “the second Nesvizh” and even “Belarusian Versailles”. The organizers are preparing an extensive program, the highlight of which will be a luxurious ball at the palace. Throughout the day artisan fairs will be opened as well as museum expositions, master classes, plein-air painting for artists, a historical quest, and other events.
When: 21 September
Where: Zhilichi Palace and Park Ensemble, the agrotown of Zhilichi, Kirov District, Mogilev Oblast.
The 27th international festival of animation films Animayevka
The international festival of animation films Animayevka 2024 will bring together masters from such countries as Czechia, Australia, Belgium, India, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Japan, Canada, Malaysia, and Switzerland. Vietnam and Trinidad and Tobago will take part in the festival’s contests for the first time. The program traditionally includes contests of animated films, children’s animation art, children’s fine arts as well as arts and crafts. The Best Animated Series nomination has been added to the animated films competition for the first time. A total of 317 films from 47 countries will be screened during the festival in Mogilev. Of these 248 films will be in the animated films competition, and 69 in the children's animation art competition.
When: 25-27 September.
Where: Mogilev, Mogilev Oblast
The ecological festival Cranes and Cranberries of Miory Land 2024
The festival Cranes and Cranberries of Miory Land invites you to spend an autumn weekend in the famous wildlife sanctuary Yelnya and immerse yourself in the atmosphere of Belarusian folk traditions. It is here, in one of the largest upland bogs in Europe, that the largest cranberry harvests in the country are gathered. Huge flocks of gray cranes (more than 4,000 birds!) can be met there as well. They stop in Yelnya during the autumn migration. In addition, tens of thousands of geese of different species come to Yelnya. Guests of the festival will be able to watch the birds in the territory of the wildlife sanctuary, choose the best farmstead of the region, buy souvenirs of local craftsmen, eat cranberry water and sweets made of cranberries and even choose the Miory Cranberry.
When: 28 September
Where: The wildlife sanctuary Yelnya, Vitebsk Oblast.
print version
make home page
add to bookmarks
