Press releases

MINSK, 18 January (BelTA) – The Libraries at Night event will be held in Minsk on 22 January, BelTA learnt from the organizers.

“Two libraries of the Belarusian capital, namely the scientific library and one in the Belarusian National Technical University, as well as the oldest urban library Pushkinka will keep their doors open late on this day. Late visitors will have a chance to become personally certain that films and books are a wonderful blend and that a library is a perfect place that gathers the best people of the city,” said the organizers.

During the Libraries at Night festival, guests, including well-known media persons, will read out fragments from their favorite books in Belarusian as well as foreign literature translated into the Belarusian language.

The idea for the Libraries at Night emerged following the Museums at Night festival which quickly became popular. Libraries at Night is part of the Velcom Smartfilm festival. The theme of this year’s festival is book trailers and book presentation videos. Libraries at Night is an original master class that will unite the Belarusian language, literature and cinematography. We hope that with time this event will turn into a good tradition,” the organizers noted.

The entry to the Libraries at Night festival will be free. The organizers suggest bringing any book from home for an exchange. Thus, two libraries will be transformed into the city’s biggest book-crossing points for the night.

The festival will also feature a master class on film shooting with a smartphone. Visitors will be able to talk to Belarusian filmmakers and script writers. The Pushkin Minsk Oblast Library will host the screening of the best films of the previous Velcom Smartfilm festivals.

“Keeping silence in the reading halls during the Libraries at Night festival will be expressly prohibited. Books will be read aloud and only those that worth screening,” the organizers of the event said.