JUNE 2023
Vytoki sports and cultural festival
The sports and cultural festival “Vytoki. A Step Towards Olympus” ushers in a new season. The host city will be Zhlobin on 19-20 May. On 19 May the program features an artistic drawing interactive organized by the ArtHaos gallery and the musical "How the night has turned into a girl" by the Youth Variety Theater. The first day of the festival will end with the screening of the famous sports film in an open-air cinema. The events on 20 May includes the opening ceremony, the Olympic quest, the new intellectual and educational project "Vytoki. Quiz", a show of apparel collections by Belarusian manufacturers, designers and entrepreneurs. This year, the cultural program debuts a new song lyrics contest "Poems about life important things". The festival program in Zhlobin will wrap up with an evening gala concert featuring popular Belarusian pop artists.
When, where:
19-20 May – Zhlobin
2-3 June – Baranovichi
16-17 June – Slonim
23-24 June – Glubokoye
18-19 August – Kostyukovichi
25-26 August – Borisov
Incredible Amusement at the Belarusian State Circus
For the summer period the Belarusian State Circus will turn into an Incredible Amusement where amazing phenomena take place: the observation wheel is transformed into the breathtaking Wheel of Bravery and the usual Firing Range into the extreme Knife Throwing Range! Only here the impossible is possible: cats perform stunts in the air, motorbikes are driven by bears, and people prove to be stronger than cars... The program of the new show includes such numbers as tightrope walking, air gymnastics on a corde de péril, acrobatic walkway, gymnasts in a ring and on a trapeze, power lifting. The arena will also feature children's favorites – trained bears, cats and ponies.
When: 26 May to 19 August
Where: Belarusian State Circus, 32 Nezavisimosti Avenue, Minsk
International Children's Day at Bolshoi Theater of Belarus
The Bolshoi Theater of Belarus will join the celebration of the International Children's Day. On this day, the children will be treated to "King's Reception", "Visiting the Snow Queen" or "Fairytale Fair", will perform their favorite songs together with the artists, solve musical riddles, make a journey into the world of music and fairytales, and also visit the "Artist's Studio” where they will make a real sketch for a performance! Also, children and their parents will enjoy various activities, colorful photo zones with props from children's performances, workshops, light performances and much more.
When: 1 June, from 14.00 to 19.00
Where: Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater of Belarus, 1 Parizhskoi Kommuny Square, Minsk
Grodno FEST
The festival of street art will open the summer calendar of events in Grodno. The program includes performances by artists and musicians of different genres, an alley of "living statues" and an exhibition of art objects, performances by animators and mimes, magicians and acrobats, dramatized shows and fire shows. Anyone will be able to take part in workshops in dancing, sound meditation, musical instruments, walking on stilts, tactics and strategy of combat exhibition.
When: 3 June
Where: Sovetskaya Street, Grodno
Braslav Zarnitsy festival of traditional culture
The festival of traditional culture Braslav Zarnitsy dedicated to the popularization of folk traditions and original culture of the Braslav region celebrated its 55th anniversary in 2022. The two-day program of this year's edition includes an open competition of song groups "Braslav Choral Assembly", from which the festival began, a regional folk dance competition "Paazerskia Tapatki", a performance by one-thousand-strong combined choir and a gala concert, and the medieval festival "Bryachislav’s Sword".
When: 3-4 June
Where: Braslav, Vitebsk Oblast
Ballet Summer at the Bolshoi
The Ballet Summer at the Bolshoi festival will be held for the 8th time. The program comprises both the already recognized performances and new productions of the Bolshoi Theater and features guest artists from Berlin, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Voronezh, Perm, Bashkortostan.
8 June – Toy Seller, Voronezh State Opera and Ballet Theater
9 June – Harlequinade. NEW, Carmen. NEW', Voronezh State Opera and Ballet Theater
10 June – The Scarlet Flower, Bashkir State Opera and Ballet Theater
11 June – The Legend of Love', Bashkir State Opera and Ballet Theater
13 June – Swan Lake feat. guest artists Oksana Skorik and Even Capitaine (Mariinsky Theater)
14 June – Don Quixote feat. guest artists Valeria Isaeva and Rustam Iskhakov (Bashkir State Opera and Ballet Theater)
15 June – Giselle feat. guest artists Ksenia Ovsyanik (Berlin State Ballet) and Dina Tamazlakara (Berlin State Ballet)
16 June – Gala concert feat. invited artists: Oksana Skorik (Mariinsky Theater), Even Capitaine (Mariinsky Theatre), Bulgan Rentsendorzh (Perm Opera and Ballet Theater), Oleg Mangadaev (Perm Opera and Ballet Theater), Ekaterina Pervushina (Kremlin Ballet Theater), Dmitry Sobolevsky
When: 8-16 June
Where: Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater of Belarus, 1 Parizhskoi Kommuny Square, Minsk
Baking festival in Grodno Oblast
The tradition of baking special - Pavlovsky - bread in Slonim District is passed down from generation to generation and is included in the State List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Belarus. Its main bearers are members of the folk amateur association who take part in the annual festival, recreate the rite and conduct baking workshops. The festival program includes exhibitions, tastings of bakery products, dairy products, and also pastries by the Holy Annunciation Monastery, and a competition for the best bread...
When: 10 June
Where: Novoselki agro-town, Slonim District, Grodno Oblast
Festival of historical re-enactment in Ozertso
The festival of historical re-enactment "Over the Menka" will be hosted by the well-known skansen museum in Ozertso. Guests are invited to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of noble knights, spectacular duels and courtly traditions. Anyone will have an opportunity to hone their skills in archery or crossbow, fencing, try on period outfits, learn medieval songs and dances, take part in thematic games and competitions. The program of the festival 2023 also includes music and excursion programs, the Middle Ages culinary fest and tasting dishes of that era.
When: 10 June
Where: Belarusian State Museum of Vernacular Architecture and Rural Life, Ozertso village, Minsk District
Motol Regatta water tourism festival
Motol has become one of the most popular travel destinations in Brest Oblast due to two signature events - the food festival Motalskia Prysmaki and the water tourism festival Motol Regatta. The festival season will begin with K2 competitions. The crews will get started on Motol Lake and go through Porechye to the village of Chemerin, Pinsk District (intermediate finish). The second leg of the race will start on 11 June: the participants will travel all the way back up stream; the total distance is 42 kilometers. In addition to that, the crews will compete in biathlon shooting. The crew getting the highest scores over the two day will be announced the winner.
When: 10-11 June
Where: Motol Lake - the Yaselda River in Ivanovo District - the village of Chemerin, Pinsk District, Brest Oblast
Farewell to Mermaid rite in Veliky Bor
The Farewell to Mermaid rite, which was included in the list of historical and cultural heritage of Belarus in 2016, marks the end of the Green Week or the so-called Mermaid Week, and is held on the Sunday following the Trinity Sunday in the Orthodox calendar. Participants put on festive attire, pick flowers, weave wreaths and sing songs as they walk from the center of the village to a field to see off a mermaid whose role is played by the most beautiful girl. They drive the mermaid into the wheat, consecrate the greens over the fire, do round dances and jump over the flame which is done as a cleansing ritual. One large wreath and many small wreaths are ‘consecrated’ over the fire. The large wreath is torn apart and the greenery from it and from the mermaid’s ‘clothing’ is taken apart to be scattered in the gardens in a bid to secure a good harvest.
When: 11 June
Where: Agro-town Veliky Bor, Khoiniki District, Gomel Oblast
Notre Dame de Paris musical in Minsk
Notre Dame de Paris is a mixed bag show consisting of legendary productions from around the world, including Romeo and Juliet, Cabaret, The Three Musketeers, Monte Cristo, Mammamia, Metro ... In the first part of the show the artists will perform Victor Hugo’s Notre Dame de Paris, the second part of the show will tell the story of Romeo and Juliet. The audience will hear the world’s best musicals, enjoy pieces from their favorite productions, well-known arias (Belle, Kings of the Night Verona) performed by award-winning artists, including Svetlana Svetikova, Ed Shulzhevsky, Alexander Postolenko, Petr Markin, Vyacheslav Gnedak.
When: 14 June
Where: Minsk Concert Hall, 5 Oktyabrskaya Street, Minsk
TechStyle Bouquet international festival
Since it was established four years ago, the TechStyle Bouquet festival of arts and crafts has received an international status and expanded its geography: taking part in it were more than 500 participants from Belarus, Russia, Latvia, Canada, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Türkiye, Austria, Germany, the USA, India. This year the festival is taking place under the motto: “From tradition to modernity”. The event will bring together about 100 artists from Belarus, Russia and Austria. The exposition will feature works made in traditional and experimental techniques: patchwork, weaving, embroidery, appliqué, knitting, dolls, costumes, textile collages, textile sculptures, avant-garde products.
When: 14–18 June
Where: National Center for Contemporary Arts, 3 Nekrasova Street, Minsk
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Celebrations of the 520th anniversary of Smorgon
Smorgon has a remarkable history: it was home to the legendary Bear Academy and the place where the tradition of cooking round ckracknels was born. The town distinguished itself during the First World War. The celebrations of the town’s 520th anniversary will begin with a ceremony to lay flowers at the monument to the soldiers and partisans who died during the Great Patriotic War. On the same day, the three-dimensional composition “Smorgon. Pages of History” will be unveiled. On the second day, services will be held in the Transfiguration Church and in the St. Michael the Archangel Church. The central square will become the center-stage of the celebrations. It is here where a theatrical procession and the presentation of local enterprises and organizations “From History to the Future” will take place. Belarusian artists will take to the stage in the evening. The headliners include the Aura group, the finalists of the X Factor Belarus project, including a native of Smorgon Denis Patsevich, the Rada musical theater, and the choir of the Holy Spirit Cathedral in the capital.
When: 16-17 June
Where: Smorgon, Grodno Oblast
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Evenings with Sofia of Golshany
Sofia of Golshany was a Belarusian princess, the founder of the famous Jagiellonian dynasty who reigned for about 200 years. The idea to recreate the Evenings with Sofia of Golshany was put forward in 2021, so exquisite outfits, mystical stories and legends returned to the renovated North Tower of Golshany Castle. Every meeting with Sofia is not like the previous one: the program can include a fire show, or performances by famous artists, or a show of singing glasses, meetings with organ grinders, archers, live statues ... The permanent part of the program includes live medieval music, old dance master classes, show of knights, funny fights, archery shooting shows.
When: 17 June
Where: Agro-town Golshany, Oshmyany District, Grodno Oblast
International Song and Music Festival Dnieper Voices in Dubrovno
Over 28 years of its history the Song and Music Festival Dnieper Voices in Dubrovno has hosted creative companies from 14 countries. The main goal of the forum is to consolidate the Slavonic peoples and preserve original national culture. Last year the three-day festival featured 40 events on more than 20 stages, with the folk song contest Rich-Voiced Nightingale making its debut. This time visitors will be invited to exchange loaves of bread, attend an international exhibition-competition for making dolls in traditional national costumes “Dubravushka Doll”, the photo-competition “My Homeland Starts Here”, a competition for the best theatrical site “Hospitable Dubrovenshchina”, and a local history conference “No Right to Forget”.
When: 23-25 June
Where: Dubrovno, Vitebsk Oblast
Evenings of Bolshoi Theater in Radziwill Castle
In May 2023, the Bolshoi Theater of Belarus celebrated its 90th anniversary. The traditional Evenings in the former residence of the Radziwill family - Nesvizh Castle - will be dedicated to the anniversary. Theater goers will see their favorite opera and ballet productions from the repertoire of the Bolshoi Theater, including the premieres - Don Quixote and The Barber of Seville. The program will include performances on several stages - the central courtyard, the Theater Hall of the Palace and the Corpus Christi Church.
23 June, 16.00 - Flutes on Vacation concert, Theater Hall
23 June, 20.30 - premiere of the Don Quixote ballet, central courtyard
24 June, 12.00 - It's Good to be Here… concert, Theater Hall
24 June, 14.00 - Pearls of Church Music of the 16th-20th Centuries concert, Corpus Christi church
24 June, 16.00 - The Land of Beautiful People concert, Theater Hall
24 June, 20.00 - premiere of the Barber of Seville opera, central courtyard
25 June, 12.00 - Interactive entertainment program and musical fairy tale “Petya and the Wolf’, Theater Hall
25 June, 14.00 - Viva l'Italia, Viva l'Amore concert, Theater Hall
25 June, 16.00 - A.M.A.D.I.S. Brass Invites… concert, Theater Hall
25 June, 19.30 - Bolshoi Theater gala concert, central courtyard
When: 23-25 June
Where: Nesvizh Castle, 2 Zamkovaya Street, Nesvizh
Songs About Main Things: Musical Theater in Mir Castle
The eighth season of the Musical Theater in Mir Castle will kick off in June with the Songs About the Main Things concert. Singers and the orchestra of the Belarusian State Academic Musical Theater will perform film music and pop hits. The program will feature well-known music from Soviet films, including The Irony of Fate by Eldar Ryazanov, Ivan Vasilievich Changes Profession by Leonid Gaidai... The program will also offer hits by Raimonds Pauls, Igor Krutoy, and Vyacheslav Dobrynin.
When: 24 June
Where: Mir Castle, Mir, Korelichi District, Grodno Oblast
Vulitsa Ezha: Summer Season 2023 in Minsk
Vulitsa Ezha 2023 presents four festivals. The first one kicked off in May at the cozy gastronomic venue LUCHshaya Ulitsa which opened to the public last year. The other three will take place under the shade of the trees in the Botanical Garden. The program will feature master classes, interactive activities, tastings, live music and dancing under the open sky. A large food court with street food will be the draw of the festivals.
When: 24-25 June, 22-23 July, 2-3 September
Where: Central Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 2в Surganova Street, Minsk
Masters of Art Olympus: Chaim Sutin and Marc Chagall Exhibition in Minsk
Belarus-born Chaim Sutin and Marc Chagall - artists of the 20th century, representatives of the famous Paris School - became the heroes of Oleg Popelsky's works created in a unique technology using natural stones. Paintings presented in various combinations of stones are called hommages, which in French means a tribute to the artist's work. The Road to Eternity series tells about Chaim Sutin’s life, childhood in his native Smilovichi, Jewish traditions, rites and family way of life. The second series, Warm Home of the Soul, celebrates Marc Chagall’s works, where the main element is a synagogue, and the composition is complemented by the characters of the artist’s works – residents of his native city of Vitebsk.
When: till 1 October
Where: Minsk City History Museum, 17 Rakovskaya Street, Minsk