MOGILEV, 23 March (BelTA) – The Kupalye festival (Alexandria Gathers Friends), which is to take place in the Alexandria agro town (Shklov District) on 8-9 July, will get an international status, BelTA learned from Yelena Bobrova, first deputy head of the main department for ideology, culture, and youth affairs of the Mogilev Oblast Executive Committee.
The preparations for one of Belarus’ key events are already in full swing. This year, plans have been made to do the festival more creative and extensive, and expand the geography of its guests and participants. “We seek to create an unforgettable, colorful, interesting, and eventful celebration. This year, the key event of the festival will be an international circus and variety show Kupalye Marches Across the Globe, ending with grandiose fireworks,” Yelena Bobrova said.
The festival will feature artists, musicians, artisans, and craftsmen from eight countries: Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, and Germany. Famous German musician and public person Tino Eisbrenner will give a solo concert in Alexandria. He is a famous pacifist, the participant of all current antiwar campaigns in Germany. At the moment, his Song for Peace enjoys its second month in the top of the chart of a major German radio station. The song will be also performed in Belarus.
For the first time in Alexandria, the guests will be able to participate in Finding The Fern Flower quest, based on the traditional culture of the Belarusians. The best traditional Kupalye wreath will be chosen at a special contest. Folk music and dance groups, artisans and craftsmen from the neighboring countries have also been invited to the festival to present their traditional rites and cuisine. The festival’s program includes many spectacular contests, presentations, exhibitions, and workshops. As usual, there will be a lot of delicious foods and drinks, games and amusements for children, and breathtaking shows for their parents, including an airshow featuring paratroopers.
The tickets for the festival’s concerts will go on sale on 1 April 2017. They can be purchased at the box offices of the Mogilev Philharmonic or online.
The celebrations will traditionally take place on the bank of the Dnieper river, near the bridge that connects two settlements, Alexandria and Kopys, and also two oblasts, Mogilev and Vitebsk. It is expected that this year the festival will draw more than 100,000 people.