Press releases

4 Jul 2019

Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk 2019 program heavily influenced by viewers

MINSK, 4 July (BelTA) – Opinions of the viewing public were surveyed as part of preparations of programs of the 28th international art festival Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk, BelTA learned from Inna Adamovich, a consultant of the Central Office for State Special Cultural Events and Professional Art of the Belarusian Culture Ministry, on 4 July.

Active work on preparing the festival proceeds throughout the year. “A broad representation of all kinds and directions of art will be the distinguishing trait of the program. It will reflect key events, in particular, three years of native land and the 75th anniversary of Belarus’ liberation,” Inna Adamovich said. “In order to take into account interests and financial capabilities of the mixed-age audience, we’ve surveyed opinions in social networks, on television and radio. As a result, the program includes the brightest projects that meet the festival’s theme.”

For instance, the director’s concept of the opening ceremony is titled as The Place You Were Born. It is dedicated to the place of one’s birth, family values, common human values, and the continuity of generations. Languages of the founding countries of the Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk will be spoken: Belarusian, Russian, and Ukrainian. The participants will include Yadviga Poplavskaya, Alyona Lanskaya, Ruslan Alekhno, Valery Leontiev, Tamara Gverdtsiteli, Varvara, Taisia Povaliy, Viktoriya Kokhana. Prominent artists from other countries are expected to take part in the festival, too, including the producer, pianist, two-time Grammy winner Marlow Rosado (USA). During the opening ceremony Taisia Povaliy will be awarded the prize Through Art – To Peace and Understanding. The winner of the international children music contest, whose name is yet unknown, will be awarded as well.

Director of the forum, Chief Director of the state institution Culture Center Vitebsk Gleb Lapitsky stressed that the organizers had tried to take into account as many opinions as possible within a short period of time. “The artists, who enjoy the largest demand, come to participate in the Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk. We’ve taken a look at our social networks. We get a lot of criticism and a lot of advice over there. Tour schedules of the artistes have been checked. We were about 80% right: premiere tours of many artists will begin in Vitebsk to go later to venues in Minsk and Moscow,” the official said. The organizers also know what projects viewers want to see year after year. The number includes Golden Hit and Europe Plus TV.

Shaping the viewers’ culture remains the main task. “The festival is an important cultural event, which is not limited to popular music. It does not try to gain financial profits. The festival is arranged for the sake of forming Belarus’ modern culture,” the director of the forum said. As an example he mentioned the program Overture for the Festival: From Classics to Rock. For the first time it will feature world-level performers, who have found some time for Vitebsk in their extremely busy schedules. The number includes the magnificent opera singer from South Korea Sumi Jo, the French tenor Vincent Niclo, an artiste of the Bolshoi Theater of Russia Ksenia Dejneva. Gleb Lapitsky noted it would be an excellent opportunity to demonstrate Belarus not only to visiting viewers but also to the artistes so that they would promote this festival venue. “When Sofia Rotaru writes a song specifically for the closing ceremony of the Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk, it seems to me the fact speaks volumes about the level of our project,” he added.

This year’s Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk will take place on 8-17 July. The ceremony and the gala concert of the festival’s opening will take place in the Summer Amphitheater on 11 July. The closing ceremony will take place on 15 July. Additional events are supposed to take place on 8-10 July and 16-17 July. The 28th international pop singer contest Vitebsk 2019 and the 27th international children music contest Vitebsk 2019 will be the main events of the festival.