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NABTA Ballet troupe went on tour in Germany and Austria

Wed Dec 14 21:00:00 2011 GMT

A ballet troupe of the National Academic Bolshoi Theatre of Opera and Ballet of the Republic of Belarus (NABTA) began their tour in Germany and Austria, which will last until mid-February.

Ballet dancers of Minsk will present their performances of "Swan Lake" and "The Nutcracker" in Vienna, Cologne, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, Leipzig, Potsdam and other cities, the "Minsk-news" agency correspondent was told at NABTA. For the first time in its history, while touring all ballet performances will also be held at the theater.

"Swan Lake" is a four-act ballet, Libretto by Vladimir Begichev, the music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

The plot is based on folk motifs, including an old German legend that tells about the beautiful princess Odette, transformed into a swan by curse of the evil sorcerer - Knight Rothbart. The premiere was held on March 4, 1877 at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow.

"The Nutcracker" is a two-act ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to a libretto by Marius Petipa for the fairy tale by Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann "Nutcracker and the Mouse King." The premiere was held on December 6, 1892 at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg.

The ballet troupe of the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre of Belarus completed the Spanish tour

Tue Nov 29 21:00:00 2011 GMT

The ballet troupe of the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre of Belarus have finished their tour of Spain.

As the "Minsk-news" agency correspondent was told in the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre of Belarus, the skill of Belarusian artists was applauded by the audience of Zaragoza, Terrace and Pamplona who saw the ballets "La Sylphide" and "Swan Lake". The main parties were danced by Olga Gaiko, Lyudmila Kudryavtseva, Marina Vezhnovets, Igor Artamonov, Oleg Eromkin, Anton Kravchenko, Constantine Geronik, Igor Onoshko.

On December 13 they will begin a tour in Germany and Austria, which will last until mid-February. "Swan Lake" and "The Nutcracker" will be presented during the tour.

It is for the first time in the history of the theater that, while touring, ballet performances in full will also be held at the Theatre in Minsk.

City art gallery of works by Leonid Shchemelev launches new project "Healing art"

Tue Nov 29 21:00:00 2011 GMT

An exhibition of works by the 20-year-old artist Paul Raschinsky starts on 2 December in the capital, in the City Art Gallery of works by Leonid Shchemelev.

At birth, Paul was diagnosed with "cerebral palsy", but he never wanted to fall behind his peers. As a child, he gathered construction toys by his feet, and now he draws the same way. There are over 200 works, made in gouache and pencil, in the collection of the Minsk painter. Among the favorite topics there are unusual flowers, animals, fairy-tale characters. Besides his pictures are rich in bright colors and optimism.

As the gallery director Tatiana Bembel told the "Minsk-news" agency correspondent, this exhibition launches a new project - "Healing art". Its goal is to support those who need help and for various reasons are cut off from ordinary life.

Visitors to the capital's movie theatre "Belarus" can see the photo exhibition "Ecology of Belarus through the eyes of the traveler"

Sun Oct 23 21:00:00 2011 GMT

In the capital's movie theatre "Belarus" there is a ten-day exhibition "Ecology of Belarus through the eyes of the traveler."

As reported to the "Minsk-news" Agency correspondent by the organizers of the project, the object of attention of the authors of works presented here are urban landscapes, life of forest dwellers, pre-dawn moments and, of course, man.

The exhibition, which has been developed in the movie theater "Belarus" numbers over two dozen pictures. They are the works which became the winners of the thematic republican competition arranged by the TV Travel Channel and "Cosmos TV" Company.

Selection of the jury was not easy. Belarusian photographers - amateurs and professionals - have filed to contest more than 700 applications. On the website of the digital gallery nearly 8 thousand people voted for these works.

Among the exhibits there are also pictures taken in Minsk. Some of them were included in the nomination "Cry for Help". By using photography, the authors have tried to raise environmental problems that are urgent for the capital.

Festival of Puppet Theatre from Poland will be held in Minsk

Mon Aug 29 21:00:00 2011 GMT

A Festival of the Polish puppet theatre and animated films for adults will be held in Minsk from 1 to 8 September. The main venue for the meeting will be the Belarusian State Puppet Theatre.

The program includes performances of "Toporland" and "Second Room", which will be presented by the actors’ association "Union Impossible Theatre".

In addition to the Belarusian capital the Polish guests will also visit Grodno, Brest, Mogilev, and some district towns.

The project was prepared with the support of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of Poland.

According to the information provided to the "Minsk-News" Agency correspondent in the puppet theatre, the Festival participants will also bring CDs with recordings of other performances.

Winners of the French-language Theatres Festival will go to France

Tue May 3 21:00:00 2011 GMT

On May 6-7 a festival of French-language amateur theatres will be held at the Minsk State Palace of Children and Youth. Among the participants in the celebration of Melpomene there will be 19 companies from Minsk, Orsha, Molodechno, Grodno and other cities and towns of Belarus.

Such an event is held in our city for the 18th time, the organizers of the project informed the "Minsk-news" Agency correspondent. Amateur actors and actresses are going to present performances made on the basis of works by classical and modern French authors. There will also be presented performances based on folk tales and poetry books. Two winners will be awarded a trip to France.

On April 21, 2011 an exhibition of Japanese royal porcelain of XVII-XX centuries opened in the capital

Wed Apr 20 21:00:00 2011 GMT

As it has been reported to the "Minsk-news" agency correspondent by Galina Ladisova, Director of the Museum, the exposition consists of over 60 items: vases, dishes, plates, tea sets, small sculptural forms. Among the exhibits there will be products made by artists from Arita, Kutani and Satsuma - the main Japanese centers where porcelain products are manufactured. Until the XIX century, these items were not available for the general population of the Land of the Rising Sun who gave preference to low-cost ceramic ware. They were produced for export.

Large monumental vases, dishes and bowls were mainly designed for the decoration of the state rooms of European palaces. For this reason, in Japan itself such products are rare today.

The exhibition "Japanese Royal Porcelain of XVII-XX Centuries" has been arranged in support of the sister city of Minsk - Sendai, affected by the earthquake and tsunami, and it will last until the end of May. Part of the money to be earned in the course of the exhibition will be transferred to the charity account of the city of Sendai.

Armenian Culture Day to be held in Linguistic University in Minsk

Tue Apr 5 21:00:00 2011 GMT

As the "Minsk-news" agency correspondent was told at the Minsk Cultural and Educational Center " Hayastan ", "Erebuni" folk group will present their big solo program "In the World of Armenian Dance" in the auditorium of Minsk State Linguistic University. The folk group, directed by Ruzana Avanesyan consists of Minskers performing folk dances and songs of this ancient Transcaucasian country. The folk group is a repeated participant in the Festival of national cultures in Grodno.

In the foyer of the University there will be an exhibition ""Armenia, the Cradle of Christian Civilization" by Minsk photographer Anna Atoyan-Herman.

Capitals of Belarus, Austria and Slovakia to build friendship through their theatres

Tue Apr 5 21:00:00 2011 GMT

According to the information given to the “Minsk-news” agency correspondent at the press service of the theatre, in the Austrian capital, Vladimir Gridushko held talks with the Director of the Vienna State Opera, Dominique Meyer. The talks resulted in reaching an agreement to begin mutually beneficial cooperation, which will provide for creative internships, exchange of soloists, participation in music competitions and festivals, an active exchange of information on the most important artistic events in the lives of the two theaters.

In the capital of Slovakia, Vladimir Gridiushko met with the Director-General of the Slovak National Theatre Andrew Shotom and the Artistic Director of Opera Peter Dvorsky.

The parties confirmed their intention to implement creative ideas, stipulated by the Memorandum signed in September last year, to develop bilateral cooperation in the field of musical art, theatrical staging activities, to jointly organize and carry out international creative actions and tours.

Youth Theatre to Present a French Comedy at the Minor Hall of the Palace of the Republic

Sun Apr 3 21:00:00 2011 GMT

The first night of the comedy "Don’t Dress for Dinner" is to be held at the Minor hall of the Palace of the Republic on April 7. The production of the play by the well-known French playwright Marc Camoletti "Don’t Dress for Dinner" has been prepared by the Belarusian State Youth Theatre. A fun story about a confusing tangle of life of quite a wealthy family has been popular on many stages.

In his production Mikhail Kovalchik involved Serhei Sharangovich, Raisa Sidorchik, Anastasiya Solovyova and other actors and actresses of the company.

As the "Minsk News" agency correspondent was informed at the theatre, the fascinating plot hides an intrigue which is revealed at its finale.

National costumes from China are on display in the historical museum in Minsk

Tue Feb 15 22:00:00 2011 GMT

An exhibition of national costumes of China has been opened in the National History Museum of the Republic of Belarus. Opening the exposition, which is a collection of 30 costumes, Counsellor of the Embassy of China in Belarus Van Santszyuy noted that citizens of Minsk would have an opportunity to see examples of traditional men’s and women’s clothing from different ethnic groups of China.

At the opening ceremony there was a concert given by Chinese students studying at the Academy of Music of the Republic of Belarus.

Musical "Golubaya Cameya" to start on a tour of Belarus

Sun Feb 6 22:00:00 2011 GMT

The musical "Golubaya Cameya", which was premiered at the Belarusian State Academic Musical Theatre, is to be shown in the regional centers of our country as well as at the International Festival of Arts "Slavianski Bazaar" in Vitebsk.

Minskers are the third to stage the musical by the famous composer Kim Breitburg. For the present, in a slightly different version, it is on in Ufa and Krasnoyarsk.

According to the "Minsk-news" Agency correspondent, Kim Breitburg said at a press conference that they would start preparing "Golubaya Cameya" for the Muscovites.

International Plastic Arts Festival "Kufar-Plastilin" starts in Minsk

Sun Feb 6 22:00:00 2011 GMT

International Plastic Arts Festival "Kufar-Plastilin" dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the Belarusian State University will be launched in Minsk on February 7.

As reported to the "Minsk-news" Agency correspondent at the Cultural Department of the Belarusian State University, during a week viewers will be able to tour an interactive exhibition of contemporary visual arts (photography, painting, sculpture, design) that will be held in the lobby of the main University building, as well as see performances in the choreographic drama genre staged by leading theater companies from Belarus, Armenia, Turkey and Germany.

The organizers of the event will focus on the popular contemporary trend of nonverbal art forms because they are of universal character and understood by all.

Performances will be held on February 11 and 13 in the capital's club "Broadway." Over two evenings admirers of theatrical art will be offered four performances with coffee discussions during intermissions: "Dreams in Dreams" of the Yerevan Theatre "Migros"; "Pain of Love" of the Anatolian Academic Association; "Esenin’s Wife. A. Duncan’s Last Dance" of the New Berlin Thematic Dance Theater; "Travel Notes" of the Studio Theatre of Modern Choreography from Vitebsk.

Minsk to host Chanukah gala concert on 5 December

Fri Dec 3 22:00:00 2010 GMT

The best singers of the Jewish community of Belarus will take part in a gala concert of the 7th Jewish Music Festival, Chanukah 2010/5771, in Minsk on 5 December, BelTA learnt from the organizers of the concert.

The guests of the festival will be Honorary Artist of Belarus Inna Afanasyeva and the Belarusian state dance company Khoroshki.

Chanukah (Hanukkah), also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt. Chanukah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar. This year the Belarusian Jews celebrate it on 2-9 December.

The concert will be held under the auspices of Belarus’ office of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and the Union of the Belarusian Jewish Public Associations and Communities.

Opera stars to come to International Christmas Opera Forum in Minsk

Fri Dec 3 22:00:00 2010 GMT

Renowned opera singers will take part in the First International Christmas Opera Forum in Minsk that will be held on 7-12 December, Director General of the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre of Belarus Vladimir Gridyushko told reporters on 2 December, BelTA has learnt.

The Belarusian audience will be offered the most popular opera performances by Belarusian and foreign opera stars. Taking part in the forum will be over 150 participants from Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Azerbaijan, Serbia, Spain and Uzbekistan.

“It is important for us to introduce the Belarusian public to the performances staged by foreign theatres and world-famous opera singers,” Vladimir Gridyushko said.

Despite the high cost, almost all the tickets have already been sold.

The forum will open with Nabucco, the first full-scale production of Giuseppe Verdi’s work on the Belarusian stage in 2010. The opera will feature Serbia’s opera star Branislav Yatich and famous Spanish tenor Jorge Perdigon. The performance will be conducted by laureate of the International Contest of the Herbert von Karajan Fund Gintaras Rinkevicius.

The symbol of the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre – Carmen by Georges Bizet – will be performed on 8 December. The performance will be conducted by Honored Artist of Russia Felix Korobov. It was the first opera staged at the Belarusian theatre back in 1933. The performance will feature prima donna of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Academic Music Theatre Larisa Andreyeva, leading singer of the Mariinsky Theatre and the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia Vladislav Sulimsky and leading singer of the Mariinsky Theatre Akhmed Agadi.

On 9 December, the Belarusian audience will be able to see the opera Tosca, the leading parts being played by the Honored Artist of Belarus Nina Sharubina, People’s Artist of Belarus Sergei Frankovsky, and People’s Artist of Belarus Vladimir Petrov.

The Latvian National Opera will present a sensational stage production of La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi. The scene of the opera is laid in the 1950s. The major character Violetta Valery is not a dying, suffering woman, but an energetic, life-loving person.

A roundtable session featuring directors of the biggest theatres of the CIS states, reporters and theater critics will be held during the forum. There are plans to hold a competition of young opera singers of the CIS states next year.

The forum is founded by the Minsk City Executive Committee, the Culture Ministry of Belarus and the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre of Belarus.

Minsk to host Yuri Bashmet Musical Festival 6-13 October

Wed Aug 18 21:00:00 2010 GMT

According to Council of Ministers’ resolution N1199, the 5th Yuri Bashmet International Musical Festival will be held in Minsk on 6-13 October, BelTA learned from the Council of Ministers’ Office.

The Yuri Bashmet festival will be organized by the Belarus Culture Ministry and the Minsk City Council jointly with famous Belarusian pianist Rostislav Krimer. Along with the festivals of classic music in Austrian Salzburg and Swiss Verbier, the Yuri Bashmet festival is considered to be one of the most important events in the world culture.

Along with the outstanding musicians including Yuri Bashmet taking part in the festival will be young pianists, violinists and cellists from various countries of the world.

Junior Eurovision to gather young talents from 14 countries in Minsk in November

Wed Jul 28 21:00:00 2010 GMT

Young talents aged 10-15 from 14 countries will compete at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2010 in Minsk on 20 November, representatives of Belarusian Teleradiocompany told BelTA.

Latvia and Moldova will debut at the eighth junior Eurovision. The Lithuanian company LRT and the Swedish one SVT will re-enter the contest after a lengthy break. The number of competing countries will increase by one in comparison with Kyiv’s junior Eurovision last year.

The competitors are Belarus (BTRC), Armenia (AMPTV), Belgium (VRT), Macedonia (MKRTV), Georgia (GEGT), Latvia (LTV), Lithuania (LRT), Malta (PBS), Moldova (TRM), the Netherlands (AVRO), Russia (RTR), Serbia (RTS), Sweden (SVT), and Ukraine (NTU).

Belarusian Teleradiocompany has been entrusted with arranging the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2010 in Minsk. Eurovision Executive Supervisor Svante Stockselius said: “Belarusian colleagues are preparing a tremendous show for millions of families across Europe. Apart from the best young performers of the continent participating in the magnificent show we are preparing an unforgettable week full of joy and friendship for all the participants”.

Ralf Mackenbach’s Click Clack song from the Netherlands was named the best at the junior Eurovision song contest in Kyiv in 2009. Unlike in Eurovision where the winning country is entitled to arranging the next year’s show, in junior Eurovision it is the European Broadcasting Union that chooses the country for a next year contest. More information is available at www.junioreurovision.tv.

Minsk intends to hold Festival of Belarusian Natives Abroad

Sun Jun 27 21:00:00 2010 GMT

The Festival of Belarusian Natives Abroad is expected to be held in Minsk in 2011 for the first time, Culture Minister of Belarus Pavel Latushko told the first session of the advisory council for Belarusian natives abroad in Minsk on 25 June, BelTA has learnt.

The festival will be organized by the Belarus Culture Ministry, the Office of the Commissioner for Religions and Nationalities of Belarus under the auspices of the Foreign Ministry, local authorities and public organizations.

The festival is expected to be held once in two years. Around 300 participants from various countries plan to take part in the first festival. Festival’s concerts will be given not only in Minsk but in other cities of the country.

The concerts will be organized on the most important stages of the country including the Palace of the Republic and the Belarus State Philharmonic Hall. The Belarus National Museum of Arts will host an exhibition of the Belarusian artists who live in foreign countries. The National Museum of History will hold the photo exhibition which will tell about the life and activity of the Belarusian natives abroad. Belarusian writers and poets will take part in the literary festival. The festival will last three-five days.

The Regulations on the Festival of Belarusian Natives Abroad is expected to be drafted in the near future. The document will be introduced before the Belarusian unions abroad until 1 September.

Minsk puppet theater wins best director award at festival in Poland

Tue Jun 15 21:00:00 2010 GMT

The Belarusian puppet theater won the best director award at the 23rd international theater festival Walizka in Poland for the production titled as Why People Age?, BelTA learnt from Darya Vizner, the chief of the literary and drama department of the theater.

The production of the Minsk theater was recognized best among the performances presented by 17 theaters from Belarus, Russia, Poland, Slovenia, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, and Spain. The production by Aleksei Lelyavsky was highly acclaimed by the professional jury and the audience. The 23rd international theater festival Walizka was held in Lodz on 8-11 June.

Aleksei Lelyavsky and artist Tatiana Nersisyan are now working on a production based on Anton Chekhov’s Three Sisters. The new performance will be premiered at the start of the new season in September.

Colorful painting expo at international biennale in Minsk

Tue Jun 15 21:00:00 2010 GMT

A palette of colors and techniques is in full bloom at Colorfest, the 2nd Minsk international biennale of modern pictorial art. The opening ceremony took place at the National Library of Belarus, BelTA has learned.

More than 120 works by artists from Belarus, Ukraine, Armenia, Serbia, Italy and other countries are located in four galleries of the National Library. The Italian collection is the largest one and features 75 pictures. Italian artist Raffaele de Rosa is a guest of honor at the biennale. He won the grand prix at the first Minsk international biennale of modern pictorial art in 2008. His personal exhibition is located in the Panorama gallery of the National Library.

The biennale will stay open till 13 August. Timed to the biennale is the book expo Pictorial Art Without Borders. It features books about the life and works of many painters from different countries.

Supervisor of the project, President of the International Guild of Painters Fyodor Yastreb said, such expos help overcome borders not only between countries but between human souls.

Minsk puppet theater wins best director award at festival in Poland

Mon Jun 14 21:00:00 2010 GMT

Belarus hosts Week of Iranian Culture

Mon Jun 14 21:00:00 2010 GMT

Iranian folk arts are represented at the Week of Iranian Culture that opened at the Palace of Arts in Minsk on 14 June. The event is supposed to strengthen Belarusian-Iranian friendly relations and cultural cooperation, said Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Belarus at the opening of the forum.

Deputy Culture Minister of Belarus Viktor Kurash noted that Belarus and Iran are actively developing cultural cooperation. Iran’s representatives regularly partake in Belarusian cinema and arts festivals. The cultural cooperation is sustainably developing owing to close high-level contacts between the two countries.

At the Palace of Arts the Iranian culture is represented as a large workshop in a street of Tehran. Taking part in this cultural forum are more than fifty Iranian craftsmen.

The program of the Week of Culture includes exhibitions of photos, paintings, carpets and traditional clothes of Iranian ethnic groups. The Iranian artists demonstrate their calligraphic skills.

Belarusians may also get familiar with Iranian sculptures and paintings, mirror furnishings, gold plating, embossing, wood engraving, and mosaics.

The exhibitions are accompanied by traditional Iranian music and national dances. The guests may also enjoy performances by actors of Iranian puppet and mummery theaters.

Minsk to host Swedish Film Festival 9-13 June

Wed Jun 2 21:00:00 2010 GMT

A Swedish Film Festival will be held in Minsk on 9-13 June, BelTA learnt from the Embassy of Sweden in Belarus on 2 June.

The festival will be held as part of the Days of Swedish Culture in Belarus. This year the Belarusian film fans will be able to watch five Swedish films shot in 2005-2008.

The festival will open with Bjorn Runge’s drama, Moth To Mouth.

On 10 June, the Belarusian cinema-goers will be able to watch Tomas Alfredson’s Let the Right One In.

A thriller Storm by Bjorn Stein and Mans Marlind will be screened on 11 June.

Leif Lindblom’s thriller, Sunstorm, will be demonstrated on 12 June, and the Everlasting Moments drama by Jan Troell will conclude the festival on 13 June.

All films will be demonstrated at the Tsentralny cinema theater in Swedish with Belarusian subtitles.

Opera and Ballet Theaters of Belarus, Georgia to sign memorandum of cooperation

Mon May 24 21:00:00 2010 GMT

The National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater of Belarus and the Tbilissi State Opera and Ballet Theater are set to sign a memorandum of cooperation in Minsk on 25 May, Director of the Tbilissi theater David Sakvarelidze told a press conference on 24 May.

Besides, the director of the Tbilissi theater plans to invite one of the Belarusian dramas to partake in the festival of theater arts slated for October in Georgia. David Sakvarelidze was also interested in the Belarusian Opera and Ballet Theater which has been recently reconstructed.

According to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to Belarus Giorgi Chkheidze, the mutual relations in culture have always been close between the two countries. In his words, the Belarusian and Georgian people can take pride in the outstanding cultural and art figures whose works are well-known both in Belarus and Georgia and abroad. The Ambassador believes that the organization of cultural days is a promising area of the bilateral cultural cooperation.

Minsk to host international puppetry festival 24-30 May

Tue May 18 21:00:00 2010 GMT

The 6th Belarusian international puppetry theater festival will be held in Minsk on 24-30 May, BelTA learnt from the Belarusian State Puppet Theater.

Partaking in the festival will be theaters from Russia, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Slovenia and Belgium. All Belarusian puppet theaters will demonstrate their latest premieres.

Both little art amateurs and sophisticated theater goers will have a chance to see the original plays from different countries. The fun-packed programme includes well-known productions A cunning fox and a silly wolf (Riga, Latvia), Sleeping Beauty (Tallinn, Estonia), Cinderella. Extracts of Her Diary and Thumbelina (Ljubljana, Slovenia). Belarusian puppet theaters will entertain both kids and adults with their shows Little Mermaid (Brest), Kvetachka-Vyaselka (Vitebsk), Living Water (Gomel), Poison (Mogilev), Konek-Gorbunok (Molodechno) and Why do People Grow Old? (Minsk).

Adults will be able to enjoy Facade (Bialystok, Poland), Yevgeny Onegin (Kemerovo, Russia), Antigona (Poltava, Ukraine) and many more.

The performances will be shown at the Belarusian State Puppet Theater, the Yanka Kupala Academic Theater, the Maksim Gorky Academic Theater and New Theater.

Portuguese designers to debut at Fashion Mill 2010 Festival in Minsk

Thu May 6 21:00:00 2010 GMT

Designers from Portugal will make a debut appearance at the 19th international fashion and photo festival, Fashion Mill 2010, which is held in Minsk on 6-8 May. The Portuguese collections will be shown on 8 May, Belarusian fashion designer Sasha Varlamov told BelTA.

All in all, 207 collections by Belarusian designers will be demonstrated as part of the competition program. Twelve experts from Russia, Lithuania, Germany, Sweden, Great Britain, Portugal, Czechia, Belgium, Italy and France will pick up 10 best women’s collections, 5 men’s, 5 teenagers’ and 5 children’s collections.

“The main distinguishing feature of the Fashion Mill festival is that we do not have a jury panel. It is impossible to choose the one and only collection out of 207. Every designer has his own vision on the fashion trends. Thus we give the beginners a chance to find their audience and earn the recognition of the peers,” Sasha Varlamov said.

The semifinal of the international contest of young designers of the Russian Silhouette charity fund will be held on 6-7 May. Director of the fund Tatiana Titkova will choose the two best collections which will represent Belarus at the finals in Moscow in September 2011.

The festival will conclude with the show of the best collections made by Belarusian designers, an award ceremony and a show of guest collections. The concluding chord will be the True Fashion Parade featuring 32 Belarusians pop singers, theater and cinema celebrities, television personalities and athletes. The project has been organized by the youth fashion center of the Belarusian State University.

“This project is interesting as ordinary people whose parameters do not fit in the 90-60-90 standard will do the runway. The main goal for the designers was to highlight the individuality of every person, to find an approach to each participant. We will know how well the designers have coped with the task by watching the reaction of the audience,” Sasha Varlamov said.

CIS Youth Symphony Orchestra to perform at UN Headquarters

Wed May 5 21:00:00 2010 GMT

The CIS Youth Symphony Orchestra will play a concert dedicated to the 65th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War at the UN Headquarters in New York on 7 May, BelTA learnt from the spokesman for the CIS Interstate Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation (IFHC) Alexander Kalugin.

Established in 2007, the CIS Youth Symphony Orchestra is one of the most prominent IHFC projects. The orchestra brings together talented musicians from the CIS countries and Georgia. Among the members of the orchestra are eleven Belarusian musicians.

This year the orchestra will be conducted by the People’s Artist of the USSR Vladimir Spivakov. Taking part in the concert will be also classical music celebrity Denis Matsuev.

The concert is organized by the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the UN and the CIS Interstate Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation under the auspices of the permanent missions of the CIS countries to the UN.

The CIS Youth Symphony Orchestra is set to perform at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on 10 May. Taking part in the concert will be Ukrainian piano-player Alexander Gavrilyuk.

Minsk to host Belarus’ Art Week 5-11 April

Thu Mar 25 22:00:00 2010 GMT

The international exhibition-contest, Belarusian Art Week, will take place at the Art Palace national gallery in Minsk on 5-11 April, BelTA learnt from deputy director of the gallery Anna Grinevich.

The participants of the contest will be divided into two categories: students and professionals. The exhibition will comprise several sections: painting, graphics, photography, sculpture, arts and crafts. The jury will include national and foreign journalists, artists, art critics and heads of art galleries.

All the works will be published in an international edition, New Faces in the Art. Prize-holders will be given diplomas and provided with the help necessary for taking part in the international exhibitions and contests in Russia, Europe and America.

The programme of the contest includes master classes, lectures, roundtables and meetings.

The Belarusian Art Week is part of the Art Week Association that envisages exhibitions in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Slovakia and Poland.

Minsk to host Belarus’ Art Week 5-11 April

Tue Mar 23 22:00:00 2010 GMT

Minsk to host Roman Vatkin Memorial

Tue Mar 23 22:00:00 2010 GMT

The Roman Vatkin Memorial Gymnastics Cup starts in Minsk on 24 March. Taking part in it will be athletes from Belarus, Poland and Israel, BelTA learnt from spokeswoman for the Belarusian Gymnastics Association.

The tournament will be held as a preparation for the European Championships in Great Britain in April.

The Roman Vatkin Memorial tournament starts with qualification on 24 March. The finals are scheduled on 25 and 26 March.

Minsk hosts Week of French Cinema 9-14 March

Tue Mar 9 22:00:00 2010 GMT

The Week of French Cinema will be held in Minsk on 9-14 March, BelTA learnt from the Tsentralny Cinema. The Week of French Cinema will be held in Belarus for the fifth time.

The Belarusian audience will see the most popular pictures including those that took awards at the international cinema festivals. All five works of contemporary producers will be showed in French with Russian subtitles. They include three comedies, a drama and Michel Ocelot’s animated feature film Kirikou and Karaba.

The Week of French Cinema will be opened on 9 March with Pascal Thomas’s comedy Zero. The picture will also be shown on 11 March. On 9 and 12 March the audience will see Albert Dupontel’s comedy Bernie. The Jean-Marie Poirй’s comedy The Visitors will be demonstrated on 10 and 12 March. Nadir Mokneche’s drama Delice Paloma will be shown on 10 and 11 March. The picture was first presented at the international cinema festival in Cannes and took the Lumiere Cinema Award for “the best picture in the French language” in 2008.

Old postcard exhibition in Minsk to display Belarus’ townscape

Tue Mar 2 22:00:00 2010 GMT

Belarus’ townscape will be featured at an exhibition of old postcards in the Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War. The project has been worked out jointly with well-known deltiologist, holder of the Spiritual Revival Award of the President of the Republic of Belarus Vladimir Likhodedov, the museum told BelTA.

On 3 March the museum opens a cycle of expositions of the project, In Quest of the Lost, timed to the international sci-tech conference, Cooperation between the State Institutions and Private Collectors in Patriotic Upbringing of the Youth (to the 65th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War).

The project will also include the exhibitions, Belarus. The War Echoes in the Memory of the Generations, Belarus on the Old Postcards of the 19th-early 20th Centuries, Minsk: Time Travel.

The exhibition, Belarus on the Old Postcards of the 19th-early 20th Centuries, will display old postcards with townscapes and architectural sites of the country before the Great Patriotic War. Other postcards will show Polotsk, Belovezhskaya Pushcha, the Naroch krai and Polesie. The exposition comprises ethnographic materials: postcards with Belarus’ nationals of the late 19th-early 20th centuries.

The exhibition, Minsk: Time Travel, will give a chance to make a so-called tour of the Belarusian capital during its different historical periods – in the 19th-20th centuries, in the 1920-1930s, during the Great Patriotic War and the beginning of the 21st century. The visitors will be able to see old streets of the city, its parks, monuments and residents of Minsk from the 19th century up to the present-day.

The photographs from the museum and Vladimir Likhodedov’s collection included into the exhibition, Belarus. The War Echoes in the Memory of the Generations, will reflect the destruction brought by the enemy to the Belarusian land and people during the Great Patriotic War, erased architectural sites and lost cultural heritage of the country.

Minsk to host international disability arts festival 24-26 February

Tue Feb 23 22:00:00 2010 GMT

Delegates from Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania and Latvia will take part in the second charity arts festival for children with disabilities. The Wings of Childhood event will be held in Minsk on 24-26 February, BelTA learnt from the project manager Elena Bondarenko.

The festival intends to showcase the infinite possibilities of children in various fields of art.Taking part in the forum will be 150 children aged between 8-17, winners of regional contests and also famous Belarusian performances and bands.

The preliminary stage of the contest will take two days during which the jury will select 15 finalists. Young performers will compete in vocal and choreography events.The international forum will finish on 26 February with a gala concert in the Palace of the Republic.

“We hope to attract wide public attention to the art of children with disabilities and their problems. We would like to provide a chance to everybody to show care and attention to the special needs children,” said Elena Bondarenko.

Minsk hosts an Oswaldo Pajares concert

Mon Feb 22 22:00:00 2010 GMT

A concert of Russian and Latin American music with the participation of the Venezuelan bandmaster Oswaldo Pajares and Symphonic Orchestra of the National State Television and Radio Company of Belarus took place in Minsk at the cultural center of the Minsk Tractor Works on 22 February. The concert was dedicated to the 200th anniversary of Venezuela’s independence, BelTA learnt from the Embassy of Venezuela in Belarus.

Oswaldo Pajares is a famous Venezuelan musician. As a violin player, he performed with such bands as the MERCOSUR Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Ibero-American Youth Orchestra and the Simon Bolivar National Youth Orchestra of Venezuela.

In 2006 Oswaldo Pajares established the Capital Philharmonic Orchestra of the Anzoategui state of Venezuela and became the bandmaster of this orchestra. Oswaldo Pajares and his orchestra took part in various Venezuelan and international prestigious festivals. Oswaldo Pajares took Master’s degree in Orchestral Conducting at the Simon Bolivar University. Oswaldo Pajares is also the director and violin player of the Boheme string quartet.

Belarus, Lithuania to stage joint theatre performances

Mon Feb 15 22:00:00 2010 GMT

The National Academic Grand Opera and Ballet Theatre of Belarus and the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre are planning to stage joint performances, BelTA learnt from the Opera and Ballet Theatre of Belarus.

Such performances are envisaged by the memorandum on bilateral cooperation between the National Academic Grand Opera and Ballet Theatre of Belarus and the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre. The memorandum has been signed by Director General of the Opera and Ballet Theatre of Belarus Vladimir Gridyushko and his Lithuanian counterpart Kevisas Gintautas. The two theatres are going to exchange their performances, soloists, and performing groups and hold master-classes. The theatre experts (bandmasters, stage managers, designers and lighting designers and advertising experts) are also expected to share their experience.

The spokesperson for the Opera and Ballet Theatre of Belarus added that the Belarusian theatre had previously reached agreements on cooperation with the Latvian National Opera. The Belarusian soloists will be able to partake in new theatre shows of the Latvian National Opera. Apart from that, the performances of the Latvian National Opera are planned to be staged at the National Academic Grand Opera and Ballet Theatre of Belarus. A Latvian performance Don Juan is supposed to be shown at the Christmas Opera festival in Minsk in December 2010. The experts on vocal techniques of the Latvian National Opera are also planning to hold master-classes at the Opera and Ballet Theatre of Belarus.

Books of Belarus 2010 exhibition to open 10 February

Tue Feb 9 22:00:00 2010 GMT

The 17th international book fair Books of Belarus 2010, located at the Belexpo National Exhibition Center in 27 Yanka Kupala Street, will open its doors to the guests from 26 countries on 10 February, BelTA learnt from the Information Ministry of Belarus.

This year partaking in the exhibition will be 619 exhibitors from 26 countries. Last year Belarus gathered 615 participants from 25 countries. At least 40,000 visitors are expected from 10 to 14 February.

France will be an honorable guest at the Books of Belarus 2010 forum. The French exposition with the total area of 204 square meters will be extensive and interesting. A bigger floor has been given only to Russia – 250 square meters. The opening ceremony of the French exposition will be held after the solemn opening ceremony of the exhibition.

The French exposition will present the works of the contemporary authors. The French booth will be rich in book novelties, and, first of all, books in original. Moreover the visitors who will buy books exposed at the French booth will be able to win a ticket to a concert of Patricia Kaas that is to take place on 13 February. On the last day of the exhibition, the French Embassy will present a prize to a young Belarusian French-speaking writer whose name will be announced on 14 February.

Taking part in the exhibition will be famous French writers, reviewers, graphic designers, book publishers. Literature soirees and autograph sessions will be held during the exhibition. The forum will be attended by contemporary art critic Catherine Millet. Meetings will be held with writer Anne-Marie Pol, painter Pierre Cornuel. Director of the Napoleon Foundation Thierry Lentz will take part in a roundtable.

This time the programme of the forum will include almost 120 events. A traditional Library Day will take place on 11 February and will be followed by the Knowledge Day on 12 February.

The Information Ministry of Belarus and the State TV and Radio Broadcasting Committee of Ukraine are set to sign a joint action plan for 2010 on 10 February.

A varied and interesting programme will be presented at the German booth. Some of the German literature will be handed over to the Belarusian universities.

The 17th Minsk international book fair Books of Belarus 2010 will be held on 10-14 February. The forum is organized by the Information Ministry of Belarus, the Belarusian Association of Publishers and Booksellers, the Belkniga and Makbel companies.

Five universities of Minsk get ‘trees of friendship’ from Israeli Embassy

Mon Feb 1 22:00:00 2010 GMT

The Israeli cultural and information center at the Embassy of Israel in Belarus presented ‘trees of friendship’ to five universities of Minsk.This cultural event is dedicated to the Israeli holiday Tu Bishvat that marks the ‘New Year of the Trees’. Many Jews celebrate Tu Bishvat by donating money to plant trees in Israel. It is also popular to commemorate Tu Bishvat by eating foods that can be found in Israel, such as olives, figs, grapes, honey, carob fruit and pomegranates. Today the holiday is dedicated to the protection of nature and environment, said director of the center Olga Polishchuk.

“As we have no opportunity to plant a tree on this day we have deiced to gift it to five universities of Minsk,” Olga Polishchuk said. ‘Trees of friendship’ (indoor exotic palm-trees) have been given today to Belarusian State Teachers’ Training University named after Maxim Tank, Belarusian State University, Belarusian State University of Culture and Arts, Belarusian State Medical University and Shirokov Institute of Modern Knowledge.

When presenting the ‘tree of friendship’ to rector of Belarusian State University Sergei Ablameiko, Olga Polishchuk expressed hope “that it will be the beginning of good relations and cooperation”. On his part, Sergei Ablameiko said that Belarusian State University has developed good relations with universities of Israel. The university teaches Hebrew and culture of Israel at the cultorolgy and foreign languages department. Every year several students go to the University of Jerusalem for training courses. “We want to see our relations grow stronger. There are many people in Belarus who would like to study Hebrew, Israeli culture,” Sergei Ablameiko said. He presented the book “Unexpected Belarus” to the Israeli cultural and information center.

The Israeli cultural and information center held the first event of the kind last year when it presented the palm-tree to the central botanical gardens in Minsk. Next year the center plans to give ‘trees of friendship’ to several more universities, Olga Polishchuk told BelTA. The Israeli cultural and information center maintains close links with the universities of Minsk, conducts joint cultural projects on a regular basis.

Minsk to host photo-exhibition Soul of Serbia

Mon Jan 25 22:00:00 2010 GMT

With the blessing of Metropolitan of Minsk and Slutsk Filaret, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus and Bishop of Raz-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija Artemije, a charitable photo-exhibition, Soul of Serbia, will be held in Minsk. The vernisage is timed to Serbia’s national holiday, St. Sava’s Day, BelTA learnt from the Belarusian exarchate.

The exposition will open in the gallery of the Belarusian National Drama Theater (44 Kropotkina Street) on 26 January. The exposition will display 45 works of well-known Serbian photographer Darko Dozet.

The exhibition will include the demonstration of a documentary, Kosovo. Meeting, (producer Maksim Yakubson, Russia). The picture got Diploma First Class of the Radonezh Orthodox Cinema Festival two years ago.

The charitable project will open an opportunity for potential donors to help residents of Kosovo and Metohija. The donations will be used to purchase clothes and products necessary for the Serbs living in enclaves. The project is organized by a cultural institution, Serbian Center.

The exhibition will stay open till 1 March. The exposition will be also displayed in other oblast centers of Belarus.

New staging of Lermontov’s Masquerade to premiere in Minsk

Sun Jan 24 22:00:00 2010 GMT

A new staging of Mikhail Lermontov’s play Masquerade will be premiered at the Minsk Literary House on 12 February. The play will be performed by the company of the Belarusian National Children’s Theatre, BelTA learnt from script editor of the theatre Ales Sukhodolov.

“Today there are nearly five different productions of the drama. This mysterious and ever-living masterpiece gives grounds for numerous interpretations. Thus, young producer Veronica Andreitsova has seen her own vision of the classical work,” Ales Sukhodolov said. In a new staging Arbenin becomes our contemporary, a successful businessman, gambling houses turn into casinos, balls and masquerades – into club parties. Only human nature remains the same throughout the centuries.

Svante Stockselius: Minsk Arena perfect for Eurovision song contests

Wed Jan 20 22:00:00 2010 GMT

Minsk Arena is perfect for holding both junior and adult Eurovision song contests which might be held in Belarus in the future, Svante Stockselius, Head of Song Contests at the European Broadcasting Union and the Executive Supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC), told reporters on 20 January BelTA has learnt.

Svante Stockselius noted that while visiting the Minsk Arena complex, he did not see any defects and said that this stadium is among the best ones he ever visited. “Minsk Arena is perfect, it is meant to host events like that,” he said.

The Executive Supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest said that last year the Junior Eurovision Song Contest was held in an old building in Kiev, therefore the organizers faced some difficulties. Svante Stockselius is convinced that there will not be any problems during the Junior Eurovision 2010 Song Contest in Minsk.

Minsk to host international landscape festival

Mon Jan 18 22:00:00 2010 GMT

Works of landscape artists will be presented at the fourth international festival dedicated to People’s Artist of Belarus Vitaly Tsvirko. The festival will be held at the Rakurs and Labyrinth galleries of the National Library of Belarus from 19 January to 11 February, BelTA learnt from the library.

The exposition will feature the works of aquarellists, painters, photographers and graphic designers such as Vladimir Kozhukh, Yegor Batalyonok, Yuri Gavrin, Alexander Zabavchik, Vladimir Kachan and Vyacheslav Pavlovets.

The organizers of the exhibition believe that landscape is the most understandable artistic genre which has made significant inroads not only in painting, but also in photography and computer graphics. This genre helps to depict the inner world of a painter, his attitude to the motherland and impressions most precisely.

The landscapes of the famous Belarusian artist, Vitaly Tsvirko, are distinguished by their unique artistic vision. His works became the hallmark of the national art and this is why the international landscape festival bears his name.

The visitors of the exhibition will be shown a documentary about the painter. The descendants of the great artist will deliver a speech at the opening of the ceremony.

The festival is aimed to reveal new perspectives of the genre and its potential.

Vitaly Tsvirko is a Soviet painter, the People’s Artist of the BSSR. He painted a number of pictures dedicated to the Great Patriotic War and other historic and revolutionary themes. He taught many famous artists, including People’s Artist of Belarus Leonid Shchemelev. In 1958-1962 he was rector of the Belarusian State Theatre and Art Institute.

Belarus’ first digital cinema to open in Minsk 12 January

Mon Jan 11 22:00:00 2010 GMT

Belarus’ first digital cinema Kiev will open in Minsk on 12 January, BelTA learned from Vasily Koktysh, Director General of the movie distribution company Kinovideoprokat.

James Cameron’s Avatar will be on on the first night at the cinema. James Cameron has been working on it for 14 years waiting for the technology to become able to materialize his ideas.

The company spent around Br900 million on buying the equipment. The digital cinema project was supplied by the German company Kinoton. The three-dimensional projecting technology Dolby 3D was implemented using USA equipment. The digital cinema solution was integrated by the Belarusian company Art Ramos Studio.

Apart from getting the new equipment the cinema has been largely renovated.

The assimilation of the latest technologies in Minsk cinemas is part of the program designed to develop the Minsk cinema network in 2008-2012. The Minsk cinema distribution industry has plans to modernize and overhaul about a dozen cinemas by 2012. Worth almost Br70 billion, the program will improve the operation of Minsk cinemas and will make them no longer reliant on state budget funding.

Gennady Sukhomlinov’s exhibition opens in Minsk

Mon Jan 11 22:00:00 2010 GMT

An exhibition of well-known artist Gennady Sukhomlinov opened at the National Art Gallery “Palace of Arts” on 12 January. The exhibition has been timed to the 60th anniversary of the artist, BelTA learnt from the gallery.

The artist’s works are kept in the National Art Museum of Belarus, in the private collections in Austria, England, Germany, Holland, Israel, Poland and other countries.

The exhibition has already been held in many Belarusian towns including Borisov, Zhlobin, Lida, Novogrudok, Orsha, Rechitsa, Soligorsk and others.

The exposition will stay open in the gallery till 17 January.

Roman Voloznev from Minsk second at New Wave Junior 2009 contest

Wed Dec 23 22:00:00 2009 GMT

Roman Voloznev from Minsk was second at the international competition of young singers of popular music New Wave Junior 2009 in the 8-12 age category, BelTA learnt from the grandmother of the young singer, Tatiana Gritsai.

He got the highest points from all the members of the jury for his first song. He shared the second place with Luara Airapetyan from Armenia.

Nine participants from seven countries took part in the second competition New Wave Junior 2009. The geography of the competition included such countries as Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Armenia, Moldova, Finland and China. Eight-year-old Solomia from Ukraine was recognized the best in this age category.

Singer So-Da from Minsk performed in the 13-15 age category among nine other participants from Russia, Ukraine, Latvia, Georgia and US. Her unconventional performance raised much controversy in the jury.

Minsk to host Boris Zaborov exhibition

Mon Dec 21 22:00:00 2009 GMT

A solo exhibition of a world-famous artist Boris Zaborov is scheduled to take place in Minsk in 2010, BelTA learnt from the Embassy of Belarus in France.

Preparation for the exhibition has already started, Boris Zaborov told BelTA. The exhibition will be a momentous event for the artist. Boris Zaborov’s oeuvre is connected with Belarus, his Motherland, Russia, the country where he studied, and France. Boris Zaborov has been living and working in France for almost 30 years.

It was in Paris, where he became famous all over the world.
The exhibition will be very important for Belarusian-French cultural cooperation, which is actively developing at the moment.

The exhibitions of Boris Zaborov have taken place in Paris, New York, Tokyo, Amsterdam, and Moscow, but artist’s works have never been showcased in Belarus so far.

Boris Zaborov was born in Minsk. After graduating from the Minsk art school, he entered the Leningrad Art academy and in 1962 he graduated the Surikov Moscow University. Since 1981 Boris Zaborov has been living and working in Paris.

Belarus, France to exchange photo exhibitions

Sun Dec 20 22:00:00 2009 GMT

Belarus and France are planning to start the exchange of historical photographical exhibitions. This topic was high on the agenda of the meeting of Sergei Azarenok, Director of еру Belarusian State Museum of the Great Patriotic War, and Valery Gubarenko, Director of the Brest Hero Fortress memorial, with Robert Bress, head of the Museum of the Army of France in Paris, BelTA learnt from the Belarusian Embassy in France.

The Belarusian museum directors visited France on 15-18 December under the auspices of French Embassy in Belarus and Belarusian Embassy in France.

During the visit, the Belarusian directors attended Museum of Army, the main military exhibition centre of France. The sides discussed the prospects of Belarusian-French museum cooperation, in particular, the possibilities of exhibitions of Belarusian photos in France, and French exhibits in Belarus.

In addition, the Belarusian delegation visited the Memorial of Caen. The Belarusian directors got familiar with the exposition dedicated to the Operation Overlord, the landing of the Allied Forces in France at WW II. Sergei Azarenok and Valery Gubarenko held talks with the directors of the museum. The sides discussed the bilateral cooperation, the exchange of exhibits and joint expositions.

The visit has helped outline the avenues of cooperation in cultural and historical fields between Belarusian and French museums.

Plans for French painting exhibition in Minsk discussed

Tue Dec 15 22:00:00 2009 GMT

The organization of an exhibition of French paintings at the National Arts Museum of Belarus in 2012 was discussed as Vladimir Prokoptsov, Director of the National Arts Museum of Belarus, visited the Louvre museum on 15 December.

According to representatives of the Embassy of Belarus in France, the head of the Belarusian museum visited the Louvre museum following an invitation of Louvre Director Henri Loyrette, who has visited Minsk this year.

The directors of the museums discussed the preliminary list of French paintings that may be put on display at the Belarusian capital city. They talked over cooperation between leading museums of Belarus and France, joint efforts aimed at museumification of the Nesvizh and Mir castles and the restoration of works of art.

Vladimir Prokoptsov got familiar with expositions of the French museum and its working routines.

While in France Vladimir Prokoptsov is also expected to have a meeting at the UNESCO Secretariat to discuss putting on display a work by Ivan Khrutsky in 2010. Ivan Khrutsky is a famous Belarusian painter, the 200th anniversary of whose birthday is on the list of UNESCO’s memorable dates.

Belarusian circus to storm South Korea

Sun Dec 13 22:00:00 2009 GMT

The Belarusian State Circus plans to win the South Korean public with a fantasy show Cirque Nut, BelTA learned from Director of the Belarusian State Circus Tatiana Bondarchuk.

The Belarusian State Circus will stage around 40 performances at Seoul’s Olympic Park till 31 December.

According to the source, Cirque Nut is a unique project. Belarusian circus and ballet artistes used Chaikovsky’s music and Hofmann’s Nutcracker fairy tale to produce a synergy of various circus genres, classic and modern ballet, the latest lighting and sound technologies. Apart from artistes of the Belarusian circus the team includes Olympic gymnastics champion Yulia Raskina, trapeze artistes of the Nikulin Circus of Moscow, soloist of the US Modern Dance Ballet Daniel Squire, artistes of the State Choreographic College of Minsk, gymnasts of the Belarusian national free calisthenics team.

The same days the Korean public are welcome to attend the classic ballet Nutcracker performed by artistes of the National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater of Belarus. The tour schedule includes 11 performances in five cities of South Korea between 9 and 23 December.

The Embassy of Belarus in Korea works hard to organize and ensure tours of Belarusian artistes, including holding talks, press conferences, meetings with officials, mass media, sponsors, information distribution, handling problems. Cirque Nut is the largest project organized since the Belarusian and Korean governments signed a cultural cooperation agreement in 2008. Performances of the Belarusian circus and ballet in Korea will make a major contribution to the development of Belarusian-Korean cultural cooperation.

Belarus, France to cooperate in culture, education, science, media

Wed Dec 9 22:00:00 2009 GMT

In 2010 Belarus and France are planning to sign a framework intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in culture, education, science, technology and mass media, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to Belarus Mireille Musso told a press conference in Minsk on 9 December.

“It is an important document. I hope the agreement will promote Belarus-France cooperation,” Mireille Musso said.

In her words, the agreement will be signed in the near future. It will possibly be signed at the beginning of 2010. Mireille Musso will not be able to sign the document as she leaves Minsk in December in view of the expiry of her diplomat’s term in office.

According to the Ambassador, the agreement envisages the construction of a French cultural center in Minsk. “We will do our best to construct this center in the Belarusian capital,” she said.

France to participate in Minsk Book Fair 2010

Wed Dec 9 22:00:00 2009 GMT

France will present its literature and art at the 17th Minsk International Book Fair which will be held in the Belarusian capital in 2010, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to Belarus Mireille Musso told a press conference in Minsk on 9 December, BelTA has learnt.

“We will try to bring a lot of French books to the forum. French authors are expected to visit the fair as well,” Mireille Musso said. According to the Ambassador, the French book is well represented in Belarus owing to the work of the French-Belarusian reading room of the Pushkin Library in Minsk.

According to Mireille Musso, the relations in the area of culture and art is an important element of the Belarusian-French cooperation. In 2009, a lot of French cultural projects were presented in Belarus. In particular, these are the projects related to the French music, song art and cinematography.

The Ambassador noted the efficient work of French sections in Belarusian schools. The number of these sections will be increased, she added.

According to Mireille Musso, the promotion of the French language in Belarus is promising and it helps both the countries strengthen the bilateral educational cooperation.

WWII at Belarusian-French photo exhibition in Minsk

Wed Dec 9 22:00:00 2009 GMT

The Embassy of France in Belarus is initiating a large-scale Belarusian-French World War Two photo exhibition to be held in Minsk in 2010. The information was released by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to Belarus Mireille Musso at a press conference on 9 December.

According to the diplomat, within the next few days directors of two museums will travel to France to discuss the project that the French side believes to be very important in detail.

Among important bilateral events to be held in 2010 Mireille Musso mentioned an exhibition by French impressionists. It will be arranged at the National Arts Museum of Belarus in April-May.

In addition, Belarus and France are working on a project dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the Napoleon troops’ crossing of the Berezina River. The anniversary will be marked in 2012. The French Ambassador thanked the Belarusian side for aid and support in implementing the project.

Belarus, Russia, Ukraine to organize Victory Parade exhibition

Thu Dec 3 22:00:00 2009 GMT

The leading museums of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine are planning to present a unique project, the Victory Parade exhibition, to mark the 65th anniversary of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War. The statement was made by Culture Minister of Belarus Pavel Latushko at a session of the steering committee on preparing and holding the celebrations to mark the 65th anniversary of the liberation of the Republic of Belarus from the Nazis and the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War on 2 December.

The exposition will display colours, original documents including the German unconditional surrender document, personal things of outstanding military leaders. The exhibition is expected to open in Moscow in May 2010. It will arrive in Minsk in September 2010 and will be displayed in Kiev in 2011.

Exhibitions to mark the anniversary will be held in many Belarusian establishments. By 9 May 2010 the National Library of Belarus jointly with the leading museums of the country plans to organize a national exhibition, the Soviet Poster 1941-1945. In 2010 the Belarusian State Academy of Arts is going to hold an art exhibition, We Remember the May of 1945. Libraries, educational establishemnts, museums, clubs throughout the country will hold thematic and museum exhibitions, meetings with war participants and other events.

Belarusian Troubadour gets favorable reviews in Netherlands

Tue Dec 1 22:00:00 2009 GMT

Dutch critics and the press highly praised the Belarusian premier of The Troubadour opera staged by Swedish director Marianne Berglof. Eleven performances of the play were successfully staged in Breda, Einthoven, Haarlem, Den Bosch and in Belgium.

The Dutch audience gave a 20-minute standing ovation to the Belarusian-Dutch opera after the premier at Rotterdam theatre in the Netherlands.

The European critics noted “high level and persuasiveness of the play”, great and “sophisticated” work of the orchestra conducted by Viktor Ploskina, “strong, bright, wide and clear sound”. The audience and the critics were also impressed by the play and voices of lead singers Anastasiya Moskvina, Stanislav Triphonov, Natalya Akinina.

This staging of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera was prepared by the Belarusian opera jointly with the Dutch company Supierz Music Management. A director and producer of The Troubadour play is Marianne Berglof, famous Swedish director.

The premier performances of The Troubadour opera by Giuseppe Verdi took place at the stage of the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre of Belarus on 25 and 27 October. After that the performance went on tour to the Netherlands. The Minsk audience will be able to watch the play on 6 December.

Stefan Komandarev’s film receives Listapad 2009 Grand Prize

Mon Nov 23 22:00:00 2009 GMT

The World is Big and Salvation Lurks Around the Corner film directed by Stefan Komandarev received the Gold of Listapad 2009 Grand Prize award. The film was jointly produced by Bulgaria, Germany, Slovenia and Hungary.

The silver of Listapad film festival went to Everlasting Moments of Maria Larsen directed by Jan Troell and produced by Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The bronze of the festival was awarded to Sniper. Weapon of Retribution by Alexander Efremov.

The largest number of the festival awards went to Everlasting Moments of Maria Larsen including best direction award (Jan Troell), best male character award (Mikael Persbrandt), best female character award (Maria Heiskanen). The film was also awarded a special prize for the best camerawork named after Honored Art Worker of the Republic of Belarus, cameraman, director Jury Marukhin. The prizewinners are Jan Troell and Mischa Gavrjusjov.

The jury also praised The Tour by Goran Markovic from Serbia. The film received the best supporting female role award (Mira Furlan), a special prize For The Artistic Wholeness And Consolidation Of The Universal Values and a diploma of the film press jury, For The Art That Conciliates.

Best supporting male role award went to Roman Madyanov for the role in Pete On The Way to Heaven film. The Another Bank by George Ovashvili jointly produced by Georgia and Kazakhstan was awarded a special prize of the jury For the Best Debut in the Cinema named after People’s Artist of USSR, director Viktor Turov. The prize of the President of Belarus For Humanism and Spirituality in the Cinema went to Marat Sarulu, director of The Family (The Song Of The Southern People) (Russia, Kazakhstan). The Melody For A Street Organ by Kira Muratova was awarded two prizes of the film press.

The results of the festival satisfy film critics and viewers, those people who know and like the cinema. The festival was held in a great way, Vladimir Rylatko, Deputy Culture Minister told journalists.

Viewers and the jury watched 150 films during a week. “It is interesting that each film tells about a struggle for existence in this complicated world,” Rostislav Yankovsky said.

Chairman of the international jury, director, people’s artist of Russia Pavel Chukhrai highly praised the level of the Belarusian Listapad. Speaking about the Belarusian films, Pavel Chukhrai noted a genre wholeness and high level of Sniper. Weapon of Retribution. Swedish film Everlasting Moments of Maria Larsen received unanimous approval of the jury.

Belarusian ballet to open Year of Belarusian Culture in Russia in March 2010

Mon Nov 23 22:00:00 2009 GMT

The National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre of Belarus will open the Year of Culture of Belarus in Russia in March 2010, head of the arts department of the Belarusian Culture Ministry Mikhail Kozlovich told a press conference in Minsk on 23 November.

The cultural program in Moscow will start with the performance of the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre of Belarus. The company of the theatre will present its classical repertoire.

The events that will be held in Moscow include an exhibition of modern Belarusian painters, performances of Belarusian artists and bands, display of Belarusian films. It is also planned to organize a joint gala concert of Belarusian and Russian performers dedicated to the 65th anniversary of the Great Victory.

Days of the Belarusian culture will also take place in St. Petersburg. The event will include a gala concert of Belarusian artists and opening of Yan Borshchevsky’s memorial plaque. A concert of the State Chamber Orchestra of Belarus and a round-table discussion “A theme of patriotism in the works of modern writers” will be organized at the Hermitage concert hall.

According to Mikhail Kozlovich, Pesnyary and Syabry, famous Belarusian bands, will go on tour around the cities of Russia. A theme exhibition of Maksim Bogdanovich Literature Museum will be presented in Yaroslavl. the Days of the Belarusian Movie will be held in several Russian cities in the course of the year. The closing ceremony of the Year of Culture of Belarus will take place in Moscow.

Giulio Prigioni: Italian Renaissance in Belarus will be altered in autumn 2010

Mon Nov 23 22:00:00 2009 GMT

The format of the Italian Renaissance in Belarus project will be altered in autumn 2010, BelTA learnt from Giulio Prigioni, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Italy to Belarus.

“We are trying to find the ways to present historical and modern renaissance to Belarusian audience in a more detailed way,” the diplomat noted.

The Embassy of Italy in Belarus held the Italian Renaissance in Belarus large-scale cultural project in October-November 2009. Belarusians had an opportunity to get acquainted with the best achievements of the Italian national culture, art and economy. The action started with a presentation of the Madonna with Child between S. Enrico and S. Antonio masterpiece of Italian High Renaissance painter Paris Bordone in Minsk on 1 October.

According to Giulio Prigioni, Belarus and Italy are planning to sign an intergovernmental agreement on development of economic and cultural cooperation.

Days of Calabrian Culture open at House of Friendship in Minsk

Wed Nov 18 22:00:00 2009 GMT

The Days of Culture of Calabria started with the Culture and Landscapes of Calabria evening at the House of Friendship on 17 November.

The guests had a chance to see a photo exhibition and watch the documentary film about the Italian region Calabria. the main guests of the evening were representatives of Reggio di Calabria, the capital of Calabria, including Chairman of Italy-Belarus Friendship Society Franco Milazzi, architecture professor Sandro Donato, culture and arts professor Domenico Roscetti.

According to Franco Milazzi, Belarus-Calabria relations started with the humanitarian cooperation after the Chernobyl tragedy. The friendship has been maintained for more than two decades.

This is the second time the Days of Calabrian Culture are held in Minsk. Humanitarian cooperation promotes bilateral cultural relations, Franco Milazzi believes.

Calabria is the southmost region of the Italian peninsula. Tens of thousands of Belarusian children have spent their holidays in Calabria after the Chernobyl tragedy.

Minsk to host Latin American Gastronomic Festival

Tue Nov 17 22:00:00 2009 GMT

The first Latin American Gastronomic Festival in Belarus will be held in Minsk on 23-29 November, BelTA learnt from the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Belarus.

This project is organized by the diplomatic missions of Venezuela and Cuba in Minsk. Over a week visitors of this Gastronomic Festival will be able to get acquainted with the peculiarities of the Latin American cuisine.

For example, the Venezuelan cuisine is based on traditions of the American and European continents and some elements of the African and Asian cuisines. As in many other Latin American countries, the national cuisine consists of meat, leguminous plants and maize (corn), rice, special species of bananas and many other vegetables and spices which are frequently mixed in the most unimaginable combinations.

Minsk hosts Listapad-2009 Film Festival

Sun Nov 15 22:00:00 2009 GMT

The 16th International Film Festival, Listapad-2009, was opened in Minsk on 14 November.

According to Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Vladimir Potupchik, the festival has become one of the most important cultural events in Belarus over sixteen years. Cinema halls in Minsk and other cities of Belarus will demonstrate the best films of famous film makers.

Vladimir Potupchik noted that the number of participants increases every year. This year, taking part in the forum will be participants from Albania, Slovenia, Macedonia, Croatia, Tunisia, Thailand, Philippines and Chile.

Vladimir Potupchik awarded People’ Artist of Belarus Gennady Garbuk with a special prize of President of Belarus, “For Preserving and Development of Spiritual Traditions in Film Making”.

According to Rostislav Yankovsky, People’s Artist of the USSR and Belarus and the permanent chairman of the festival, sixteen years is a very long period for a film festival. “I would like you to love our festival and to be proud of it,” said Rostislav Yankovsky at the opening of the festival.

The 16th International Film Festival, Listapad-2009, will end on 21 November. The festival has become one of the most prestigious international film forums in the CIS. The special feature of Listapad is that it demonstrates the new films, which got various film awards.

The program of Listapad includes three contests: dramatic films (18 films), documentary films (25), and films for youngsters (7).

The festival is organized by the Ministry of Culture of Belarus, the Minsk City Hall, Belarusian Film Makers Association, the National Film Studio Belarusfilm, the National State TV and Radio Company of the Republic of Belarus.

Sardinian choir concert continues Italian Renaissance in Belarus

Tue Oct 27 22:00:00 2009 GMT

A concert of the Sardinian choir “Tenores Mamoiada” has become another event of the Italian Renaissance in Belarus festival. This large-scale cultural project is expected to become a bridge between the Belarusian and Italian cultures, Julio Prigioni, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Italy to Belarus, said before the performance of the Italian artists at the Belarusian State Academy of Music.
According to Giuseppe Carboni, the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Belarus in Cagliari, the Sardinian choir “Tenores Mamoiada” has presented in Minsk a Tenore ethnic vocal style proclaimed by UNESCO a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. A Tenore oral traditional vocal style embodies the pastoral culture of Sardinia, which has been preserved over centuries.
It is interesting that the four artists of the choir have never studied music. They say they have been singing all their lives imitating old singers and thus preserving this unique vocal style. The Sardinian artists shared the secrets of their art with students of the Belarusian State Academy of Music on 27 October.
A visit of the Italian artists in Minsk was initiated by the Italian province of Nuoro under the auspices of the Embassy of Italy in Belarus, the Embassy of Belarus in Italy and the Belarusian Honorary Consulate in Cagliari.
Giuseppe Carboni noted that Belarusian culture is also well presented in Sardinia in autumn 2009. It attests to the development of Sardinia-Belarus relations. For example, a series of concerts including a concert of the Belarusian State Dance Company Khoroshki were held in late September. A vocal quartet Elegia from Minsk took part in the International Festival of Religious Choir Music in Cagliari on 18-19 October.
Cooperation between Sardinia and Belarus has been made much more intense for the past decade. Cultural events, exchange of students and visits of state officials and businessmen are organized on a regular basis.
In summer 2009 for the first time in the history of the Belarus-Sardinia relations a group of children from Sardinia spent their holidays at children’s camp Zubrenok in Belarus. It was a return visit. Sardinian families have welcomed Belarusian children for 23 years.
Sardinia is the only Italian region, which has passed a special law relating to the cooperation with Belarus. The Belarusian-Italian training center Sardinia-Global was founded in Minsk five years ago.

52 countries to partake in Listapad 2009 film festival

Mon Oct 26 22:00:00 2009 GMT

Flags of 52 countries will be hoisted at the opening ceremony of the 16th Listapad 2009 international film festival at the Palace of the Republic on 14 November, First Deputy Culture Minister of Belarus Vladimir Rylatko told a press conference on 26 October.

This is the first time that such a great number of countries will take part in the festival, said Vladimir Rylatko. The popularity of the forum is increasing. The administration of the festival has received more than 270 applications. For the first time in the history of the festival 158 films from 45 countries will be shown in three competition programmes. About 100 festival events will be held, including 55 events in the regions.

The program of the festival includes competition of feature-length fiction films, non-fiction films and feature-length films for children and youth. The competition programs will be assessed by four professional jury panels. The international jury panel for fiction films will be chaired by famous Russian film director Pavel Chukhrai. The press jury panel will be chaired by editor in chief of the Belarusian journal “Na Ekranakh” Ludmila Peregudova. The international jury panel for non-fiction films will be led by one more Russian film director Alexei Pogrebnoi. The international jury for fiction films for children and youth will be chaired by head of Lugansk Ukrainian Music and Drama Theatre Mikhail Golubovich. The viewing audience jury chaired by Rector of the Belarusian State University of Culture and Arts Boris Svetlov will award The Gold of Listapad Grand Prize.

Vladimir Rylatko noted that tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies will be sold for the first time. The ceremonies will take place at the Palace of the Republic. The opening movie Tsar by Pavel Lungin will be shown in 5 halls of “Belarus” cinema.

The 16th Listapad film festival will be preceded by the opening of the Listapadzik children’s film festival at the Pioner cinema house on 13 November. The Belarusian movie New Year Adventures in July by Elena Turova and Ivan Pavlov tales part in the children’s film competition.

Two works of Belarusfilm will partake in the competition program: Insight by Renata Gritskova and Sniper. Weapon of Retribution by Alexander Efremov.

Listapad 2009 festival will be held on 14-21 November. Its permanent chairman is Rostisalv Yankovsky, the People’s Artist of the USSR and Belarus. Festival’s director is Alexandra Zakharevich.

Minsk hosts exhibition of Italian Renaissance black letter books

Mon Oct 19 21:00:00 2009 GMT

An exhibition, Italian Books in Belarus of Bona Sforza’s Times, was opened at the Book Museum of the National Library in Minsk on 19 October. “The exhibition showcases unique publications, but the main exhibit item is the illustrated Dante’s Divine Comedy published in Florence in 1481,” said Julio Prigioni, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Italy to Belarus, at the exhibition’s opening.
The exhibition is dedicated to the 9th International Week of the Italian Language. The event is organized by the Italian Embassy in Belarus and the National Library of Belarus as part of the Italian Renaissance in Belarus cultural campaign.
Julio Prigioni said that there are many Italian Renaissance books in Belarus. They were parts of private and church libraries, and now they are kept at the National Library and available for public access.
“Julio Prigioni initiates various cultural events, and therefore, contributed to the strengthening of Belarusian-Italian ties. Belarus and Italy are going to sign an intergovernmental agreement on cultural cooperation,” said Viktor Kurash, Deputy Culture Minister of Belarus.
The exhibition is dedicated to the black letter books published in Italy in the 15th-16th centuries. The exposition presents the Italian black letter publications of Greek and Roman philosophers such as Aristotle, Plutarch, Cicero, alongside with books of the Italian authors including Francesco Petrarch and Niccolo di Bernardo dei Machiavelli.

Holland to see Belarusian opera Il Trovatore after premiere in Minsk

Sun Oct 18 21:00:00 2009 GMT

Giuseppe Verdi‘s opera Il Trovatore will be premiered at the National Academic Grand Opera and Ballet Theatre of Belarus on 25 October. After the first night the opera will be staged in Holland, said Valery Gedroits, Deputy Director General of the theatre.
During the tour the Belarusian team will perform 13 plays on 2-12 November.
The opera has been prepared by the Belarusian opera theater together with the Dutch company Supierz Music Management. Famous Swedish production director Marianne Bergloff directs the staging assisted by a German production team.
According to the source, the Belarusian public is in for a treat because the new staging of Il Trovatore drastically differs from the regular ones. With her energy the production director has made opera actors to flare on stage. The public will see a totally new opera, Valery Gedroits promised.
The XII century story will be presented in a way to look up-to-date even now.

Minsk to host international festival of academic music

Tue Oct 13 21:00:00 2009 GMT

The 2nd international festival of academic music “Dialogues: Young Composers and Singers”, which will be held in Minsk on 19-23 October, will gather musicians from seven countries, BelTA learnt from the Belarus State Academy of Music.
Taking part in the festival will be soloists and music bands from Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Poland, Germany and Slovakia. The concert program includes five musicales of contemporary academic music.
A concert of Nostri Temporis Band (Kiev, Ukraine) will open the festival on 19 October. Ukrainian soloists will present compositions created by young Polish, Ukrainian, Russian, Azerbaijani and Belarusian composers.
On 20 October, Horsinn contemporary music band (Munster, Germany) and soloists of the Grodno Choir will perform compositions of German, Russian, Polish and Belarusian composers.
On 21 October, soloist-composer Dariusz Przybylski (Poland) will a give a concert of the ancient and contemporary Polish organ music.
On 22 October, the symphony orchestra of the Belarus State TV and Radio Company under the direction of Alexander Sosnovsky will give a concert of the contemporary academic music jointly with soloists Vladislav Sharishsky (piano, Slovakia), Daria Beltiukova (flute, Belarus) and Daria Moroz (piano, Belarus).
On 23 October, the festival will present the contemporary Belarusian chamber music performed by students of the Belarus State academy of Music.
Within the framework of the festival a number of art sessions with musicians and composers of Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Poland will be held.
The festival will be held in the concert hall of the Belarus State Academy of Music and in the concert halls of the Belarus Union of Composers and the Blessed Virgin Cathedral of Minsk.
The main goal of the festival is to promote close relations between the creative youth from various countries, expand professional contacts in the area of the contemporary music art.
The festival is organized by the Belarus State Academy of Music, the Polish Institute in Minsk and Kiev, the Goethe Institute, the Belarus Union of Composers and the Blessed Virgin Cathedral of Minsk.

Belarusian XIX century photos on display in Minsk

Mon Oct 5 21:00:00 2009 GMT

Unique photos of peasant life in the village of Vyaloe, Volozhin region, are presented at a French exhibition of high-quality copies of photos made by Count Benedict Tyszkiewicz. The exhibition opened at the National History Museum in Minsk on 6 October following an initiative of the Embassy of France in Belarus. The event was arranged as part of the Photography Year held in Belarus to mark the 170th anniversary of inventing photography, BelTA has learnt.

During the presentation of the exhibition Counselor for Cooperation and Culture of the Embassy of France Ludovic Royer said that the exhibition is a bridge of friendship between France and Belarus. Department head of the Culture Ministry Natalia Avdeyeva stressed that Belarusian-French cultural ties will grow stronger in the future.

A total of 86 photos have been borrowed from the French museum of Nicephore Niepce, which is located in the town of Chalon-upon-Saone. The collection of original photos made by Count Benedict Tyszkiewicz was presented to the museum by the society of friends of the Nicephore Niepce Museum. In turn, the society acquired the collection from an antique dealer in the Paris quarter of Saint-Ouen with financial assistance of the French Culture Ministry. The photos displayed in Minsk have been exhibited only once in France — in 1994. High-quality copies were on display in Vilnius in 2000.

The unique photo exhibition will stay open in Minsk till 29 October. After that it will be moved to Gomel’s Gavriil Vashchenko Picture Gallery to be available to the general public on 4-17 November. Then the photos will be on display at the art gallery of the Polotsk National Historical and Cultural Museum on 20 November – 8 December.

Minsk to host European Day of Languages 26 September

Thu Sep 24 21:00:00 2009 GMT

The European Day of Languages will be held in Minsk on 26 September, BelTA learnt from the French Embassy in Belarus.
The French, Italian, German, Polish and Swedish languages will be presented at the European Languages Fair in Tsentralny Movie Theater of Minsk from 10am to 9pm. Visitors of the fair will be able to get familiar with textbooks, training programs, promotional materials. They will have a possibility to watch documentaries, receive the information concerning the possibility to receive education in Belarus and abroad. Various presentations and theatrical shows will be organized within the framework of the event.
The program-presentation “French Language World” will start at 1pm. The program includes a presentation of the French booth, a demonstration of the promo created by young Belarusian film directors within the framework of the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, the staging prepared by students of the Belarus State Academy of Arts.
The festival will present five European movies with Russian subtitles: 'Nuovomondo' (Italy), 'L’auberge espagnole' (France), 'Die Blindganger' (Germany), 'Ninas resa' (Sweden), 'Jasminum' (Poland).
French movie 'L’auberge espagnole' will be demonstrated at 2pm.
At the initiative of the Council of Europe, Strasbourg, the European Day of Languages is celebrated since 2001 on 26 September. Throughout Europe, 800 million Europeans represented in the Council of Europe's 47 member states are encouraged to learn more languages, at any age, in and out of school. Being convinced that linguistic diversity is a tool for achieving greater intercultural understanding and a key element in the rich cultural heritage of our continent, the Council of Europe promotes plurilingualism in the whole of Europe.

Venezuelan theater to participate in theater festival Panorama in Minsk

Thu Sep 24 21:00:00 2009 GMT

On 25 October, the Venezuelan theater will perform in Belarus for the first time, Gerardo Estrada, Director of the Simon Bolivar Latin American Cultural Center told a press conference on 24 September.
He noted that the Venezuelan theater intends to take part in the international theater festival “Panorama” which will be held in Minsk. According to Gerardo Estrada, the autumn program of the work of the Simon Bolivar Latin American Cultural Center has a lot of interesting events. Starting 1 October, the center will demonstrate the Venezuelan movie weekly. The center will offer Spanish language courses and Latin dance lessons.
The Belarusian-Venezuelan cultural cooperation was brought to a new level after a visit of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to Caracas when the culture ministries of the two countries signed the cooperation agreement. Annually, Belarus and Venezuela hold the days of culture which help both the peoples know each other better.

Belarus to host international theater festival 'Panorama'

Thu Sep 24 21:00:00 2009 GMT

Young Belarusian playwrights will be able to take part in the theater-online project of the international festival of theater arts 'Panorama', BelTA learnt from Igor Skripka, the editor of the literary and dramaturgic department of the Yanka Kupala National Academic Theater.
Participants of the project will present short plays. According to the rules of the project, the plays should be staged for the short period of time.
Taking part in the project are seven young Belarusian playwrights and seven theater directors. The participants of the project have been chosen by art director of the Panorama festival Nikolai Pinigin.
One more interesting project “Theater SOUND” of the international festival of theater arts 'Panorama' will be presented in the Yanka Kupala National Academic Theater on 27 October.
The 4th international festival of theater arts 'Panorama' will be held on 7-21 October. Attending the festival will be 21 theater troupes from Belarus, Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Estonia, Italy, Switzerland and Venezuela.

Modern culture to be discussed in Minsk 24-25 September

Wed Sep 23 21:00:00 2009 GMT

The international scientific conference “Traditions, Modern Culture and Arts” will take place in the Kondrat Krapiva Institute for Art History, Ethnography and Folklore of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (NASB) on 24-25 September, BelTA has learnt from the institute.
Scientists from Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia are set to discuss the issues concerning graphic and decorative, theatre and musical art, architecture, ethnography, anthropology, folklore and Slavonic studies, conservation and popularization of the cultural heritage.
The participants of the conference will try to define the role of researches in the architecture, graphic and decorative art, theatre science, music, cinema and other types of art in addressing the most important goals of the modern culture. The scientists from different countries will attempt to elaborate systematic approaches towards conservation of the national cultures and the historical and cultural heritage in the age of globalization.
Over 120 applications for the participation in the conference have been received including 30 from foreign scientists.
The opening ceremony of the conference and a plenary session will take place on 24 September. The participants of the conference will make a tour of the Museum of the Ancient Belarusian Culture of the Kondrat Krapiva Institute for Art History, Ethnography and Folklore and the NASB Central Botanic Garden.

Filmmakers from Albania, Tunisia and Philippines to participate in Listapad Film Festival in Minsk

Tue Sep 22 21:00:00 2009 GMT

Filmmakers from Albania, Tunisia and Philippines will take part in the 16th international film festival Listapad 2009 for the first time, BelTA learnt from director of the festival Alexandra Zakharevich.
The selection commission of the festival has already received more than 248 films from 489 countries including 18 feature-length films for the children and youth.
The program of the festival includes three competition programs: feature-length fiction films, non-fiction films and feature-length films for the children and youth. The competition programs will be evaluated by four jury panels. The international jury panel for fiction films will be chaired by famous Russian film director Pavel Chukhrai. The press jury panel will be chaired by editor in chief of the Belarusian journal “Na Ekranakh” Ludmila Peregudova. The international jury panel for non-fiction films will be led by one more Russian film director Alexei Pogrebnoi. The international jury for fiction films for the children and youth will be chaired by Belarusian film director Yuri Elkhov. The viewing audience jury will be chaired by Rector of the Belarusian State University of Culture and Arts Boris Svetlov. Belarusian film director-animator Muikail Tumelya will lead children’s viewing jury.
In 2009, the competition screening will be organized in the Minsk Film House, Tsentralny Movie Theater, Pioneer Movie Theater, Minsk Video Center and other movie theaters of the Belarusian capital.

Belarus National Museum of History to host photo-exhibition of Count Benedict Tyszkiewicz

Tue Sep 22 21:00:00 2009 GMT

The Belarus National Museum of History will hold a photo-exhibition of Benedict Tyszkiewicz who was one of the first photographers not only in Belarus but in the world. The exhibition is timed to the 170th anniversary of the birth of the photo art. The exhibition will open on 6 October and it will be running through 29 October, BelTA learnt from Inna Matsienko, coordinator of the cultural events and projects of the French Embassy in Belarus.
Unfortunately, there are no photos made by Benedict Tyszkiewicz in Belarus. At the same time, he used to have his own photo lab in the Naliboki Pushcha. Owing to Benedict Tyszkiewicz’s photos, we may see images of Belarusian peasants and their way of life in the late 19th – the early 20th century. At present, almost 90 his works are kept in one of the French museums.
This year, the French Embassy in Belarus will organize the exhibition of the high-quality copies of Benedict Tyszkiewicz’s photographs for the first time. After Minsk, the photo-exhibition will be displayed in the Gavriil Vashchenko Gallery of Gomel on 4-17 November. From 20 November to 8 December, the photos made by Count Benedict Tyszkiewicz will be presented in the Art Gallery of the Polotsk National Museum of History and Culture.
The French documentaries dedicated to the photo art will be demonstrated in the Pushkin Library of Minsk on 13-15 October and on 20-22 October, Inna Matsienko said.

Minsk to host Ecomir 2009 film festival 22-24 September

Sun Sep 20 21:00:00 2009 GMT

On 22-24 September, Minsk will host film festival “Ecomir 2009. Ecological Security – Basis for Human Life”, BelTA learnt from the Belarusian Ministry for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection.
The film festival will feature 15 films from Belarus, Russia, Slovakia, Finland, Ukraine, Lithuania and the Czech Republic. Their demonstration may attract attention of the public, governmental bodies, scientists, mass media to the problems of the ecological security.
The winners of the festival are to be announced according to several nominations – the Best Educational Film, the Best Director, the Best Cameramen, the Best Social Promo.
Within the framework of the forum, conference “Environment and Security”, the competition of ecological documentaries, TV programs and promos dedicated to ecological problems will be held.
The film festival will be organized by the Belarusian Union of Filmmakers, the cinematography department of the Belarusian Culture Ministry, the Belarusian Video Center, the Belarusian Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, the Mir Interstate TV and Radio Company, the Sakharov International Ecological University under the auspices of the UN and OSCE offices.

Belarus donates books to Azerbaijan National Library

Tue Sep 15 21:00:00 2009 GMT

The Azerbaijan National Library was presented with books published by Belarusian publishing houses. The books were donated by a delegation of the Information Ministry of Belarus after the conclusion of the First Baku International Book Exhibition and Fair that was held in Azerbaijan on 10-12 September, BelTA learnt from consultant of the Belarusian Information Ministry Valery Rogalevich.
Belarus presented about 200 books and printing products at the exhibition. On the last day of their visit the delegation handed over most of these books to the Azerbaijan National Library and part of them to the Belarusian Embassy in Azerbaijan. Some of the books were given to representatives of Azerbaijani ministries.
Taking part in the First Baku International Book Exhibition and Fair were 17 countries, including Belarus, Russia, Latvia, Estonia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Poland, the Czech Republic, France, Albania, China, Pakistan, Iran and the US. The Belarusian delegation was composed of six officials who represented the Belarusian Information Ministry.
The Belarusian delegation visited two Azerbaijani printing plants which use most advanced equipment. “The printing industry in Azerbaijan is making considerable progress,” Valery Rogalevich said.
He reminded that on 5 May 2009, a cooperation agreement was signed between the Information Ministry of Belarus and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan. The participation in the exhibition will help further expand the cooperation between printing houses of Belarus and Azerbaijan.

Secret materials related to unification of West Belarus and BSSR exhibited in Minsk

Tue Sep 15 21:00:00 2009 GMT

The documents most of which had been classified are presented at an exhibition dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the unification of West Belarus and the BSSR. The exhibition is held at the National History Museum in Minsk.

The visitors to the exhibition will be able to see original documents presented by the National Archives of Belarus and Russian archives with the original signatures of Stalin, Voroshilov and Molotov that are related to the unification of West Belarus and the BSSR. “This exhibition became possible due to the close cooperation between Belarus and Russia established in the early 1990s,” Vladimir Adamushko, director of the archives and records management department of the Belarusian Justice Ministry, said.

The exhibition features photos, maps, propaganda materials, household articles of people who lived in West Belarus and personal things that belonged to the members of the Communist Party of West Belarus.

The exhibition was organized by the National History Museum, the National Archives of Belarus, the Belarusian State Archives of Films, Photographs and Sound Recordings, the State Archives of Russia and the Russian State Archives of Social and Political History. The exhibition will be open till 1 November.

China’s Symphonic Orchestra to open Days of Chinese Culture in Belarus

Tue Sep 15 21:00:00 2009 GMT

A concert of the Radio and Cinema Symphonic Orchestra of China will officially open the Days of the Chinese Culture in the Belarusian State Philharmonic in Minsk on 16 September. Attending the event will be Deputy Culture Minister of China Ouyang Jian, BelTA learnt from the Embassy of China in Belarus.

The Belarusian people will get familiar with the peculiarities of the Chinese national music as well as hear the classics of Johannes Brahms, Edward Elgar, Henryk Wieniawski, Vincenzo Monti, Antonin Dvorjak and Piotr Tchaikovsky.

Minsk gymnasium No 23 will play a host to a Chinese calligraphy contest and a Chinese poetry soiree on 16 September.

A photo-exhibition timed to the 60th anniversary of the PRC Foundation is held at the House of Friendship. The photos demonstrate the country’s rapid development.

The National Museum of History and Art is hosting an exhibition of modern Chinese ink painting.

The fifth Days of the Chinese Culture are held on the eve of the 60th anniversary of founding the People’s Republic of China that is marked on 1 October.

Belarus actively develops cultural relations with China

Thu Sep 10 21:00:00 2009 GMT

Belarus vigorously develops cultural links with China and attaches great importance to them, Culture Minister of Belarus Pavel Latushko said at the opening ceremony of the exhibition of modern Chinese ink painting held at the National Museum of History and Art.
The Culture Minister pointed out to the importance of Belarusian-Chinese cooperation in a wide range of areas: between the museums, national libraries and culture ministries of the two countries.
The exhibition features 29 paintings by 17 artists from China. Their works reveal the modern trends in Chinese ink painting.
The exhibition will be open till 27 September.

Belarus hosts Days of Chinese Culture

Thu Sep 10 21:00:00 2009 GMT

The Days of Culture of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) started in Minsk with an exhibition of modern Chinese ink painting at the National Museum of History and Art on 10 September.

The Days of Chinese Culture are held on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the PRC, said Lu Guicheng, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China to Belarus. It is the fifth time that Belarus hosts such an event. The Days of Belarusian Culture were held in China last year.

On 15 September Lu Guicheng will present a report at the Philosophy Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. On the same day a photo-exhibition timed to the 60th anniversary of the PRC Foundation will be held at the House of Friendship.

An official opening ceremony of the Days of Chinese culture will take place at the Belarusian State Philharmonic on 16 September. Attending the ceremony will be Deputy Minister of Culture of China Ouyang Jian.

Minsk gymnasium No 23 will play a host to a Chinese calligraphy contest and a Chinese poetry soiree on 16 September.

“The Days of Chinese Culture will be another step in boosting the Belarusian-Chinese strategic cooperation,” said Culture Minister of Belarus Pavel Latushko.

Minsk to host Modern Musicology in the World of Science Symposium

Thu Aug 27 21:00:00 2009 GMT

An international symposium Modern Musicology in the World of Science will take place in Minsk on 29 August – 4 September, BelTA learnt from pro-rector in science of the Belarusian State Academy of Music Ekaterina Dulova.

Attending the forum will be art critics from 14 countries: Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Austria, France, Belgium, Italy, Great Britain, Switzerland, Israel and the USA. The participants will discuss actual problems and analyze scientific approaches towards the study of musical culture from the point of view of modern historical and systematic musicology and ethnomusicology.

The programme of the symposium includes such sections as Shostakovich and His Contemporaries, Stravinsky: Between East and West, a presentation of the topic titled “Complete Editions of Composers: the most important publishing projects”. A plenary session will highlight the issue of Ethnomusicology of the 21st Century: Historical and Ethnic Aspects of Traditional Musical Cultures.

Guests and participants of the symposium will be able to make a tour of the National Library of Belarus where the forum will open on 1 September. The following sessions will take place in the Concert Hall of the Belarusian State Academy of Music on 2-4 September.

The international symposium has been organized by the Culture Ministry, the Belarusian State Academy of Music and the International Musicology Society.

University of Culture to host Echo of Dresden Academy art exhibition

Wed Aug 19 21:00:00 2009 GMT

Echo of Dresden Academy art exhibition will open at the University of Culture art gallery (Palace of the Republic) in Minsk on 21 August, organizers of the exhibition told BelTA.
Young artists Alina Pershai and Anna Lubkova, students of the Belarusian State University of Culture, will present their paintings to the public. Every summer the university organizes courses for the students at the Dresden Academy of Arts. The exposition includes around 20 paintings.
According to Director of the Gallery Denis Barsukov, while in Dresden the girls gained new information and new emotional and creative experience which is reflected in their bright and dynamic paintings.
The exhibition is to stay open until 5 September.

Belarusfilm to present film at Berlinale film festival

Tue Aug 18 21:00:00 2009 GMT

The National Film Studio Belarusfilm is to present its new feature film at the Berlinale film festival in Berlin in February 2010, Belarusfilm spokesperson Valentina Belyakova told BelTA.
The Belarusian film studio will present “The Wolves” film directed by Alexander Kolbyshev. A special working group has been created to prepare all necessary materials to be submitted to the organizing committee on 21 October 2009 at the latest.
The working group jointly with the film director and the shooting crew has started the work on subtitles in English and German. It is one of the main conditions of the festival.
The film studio is planning to apply to the Foreign Ministry and the Belarusian Embassy in Germany for assistance in dealing with a number of issues related to the film presentation.
According to the preliminary critics’ reviews, The Wolves can qualify for different Class A international festivals.

CIS Youth Academy to be held during Yuri Bashmet’s International Festival

Tue Aug 18 21:00:00 2009 GMT

The CIS Youth Academy will be held for the first time during the fourth Yuri Bashmet’s International Festival on 4-11 October, BelTA learnt from Rostislav Krimer, the co-chairman of the national standing organizing committee of the Yuri Bashmet’s International Festival and art director of the violinist.
The Academy is a joint project of the CIS Interstate Humanitarian Cooperation Fund and Russian Concert Agency. It is organized with the assistance of the Belarusian Culture Ministry and Yuri Bashmet’s International Festival. It is aimed at searching, supporting and developing talented young musicians by means of holding master classes with world famous musicians and organizing joint concerts with the most popular modern musicians.
The Academy can be attended by young musicians from a CIS country from 15 to 30 years old. The participants are supposed to study or have musical education playing the piano, violin, viola or cello.
Teachers of the CIS Youth Academy are acknowledged professors from different countries. They will give lectures, lessons of solo and ensemble playing, take part in the joint concerts.
Music universities and culture ministries of the CIS countries will present candidates (up to three from each country in different nominations) to partake in the Academy.

Belarus to take part in international music festival in Moscow

Sun Aug 16 21:00:00 2009 GMT

Belarusians cymbalists will perform at Friends Gathering international music festival in Moscow on 16 August. Students of the Belarusian Academy of Music Veronika Praded (cymbals) and Dasha Moroz (piano) will give a concert at Moscow State Conservatory named after P.I. Tchaikovsky, BelTA learnt from the Belarusian Embassy in Russia.

The Belarusian musicians have prepared a big concert programme. They will perform musical compositions by European and Belarusian authors.

Friends Gathering international music festival is held in Moscow for the third time. The project was initially conceived as a cultural programme for foreign students during the international summer school of Moscow Conservatory. The idea was supported by other conservatories, music organizations and embassies of different countries. Today the programme of the festival consists of classical music of the East and the West.

National Library of Belarus receives 26 rare documents

Wed Aug 12 21:00:00 2009 GMT

A collection of unique handwritten and black-letter books, archive documents, maps and Belarusian periodicals were donated to the fund of rare books of the National Library of Belarus. The ceremony of handing over books was held at the National Library on 12 August.
The National Library received 18 rare books, 3 maps and 5 issues of periodicals. The oldest book dates back to 1654 and belongs to the Elsevier publishing house (the Netherlands) established in 1580. Particularly important are the seven manuscripts created by the Old Believers of Belarus in the 18th and 19th centuries. According to the experts, the collection will greatly contribute to the preservation of the Belarus’ documentary heritage and will be interesting to the scientists.
The ceremony was preceded by the thorough work on searching and acquiring the documents carried out by the specialists of the National Library with the assistance of the general partner British American Tobacco company.
British American Tobacco provides support to the socially important projects in the area of culture and art in 180 countries of the world including Belarus. A number of significant projects have been carried out by the National Library and British American Tobacco during the five years of their cooperation.
Readers and visitors may see the documents in the hall of manuscripts, black-letter and rare books of the National Library of Belarus.

Minsk to host international festival of contemporary art

Sun Aug 9 21:00:00 2009 GMT

Artists from Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Norway, Germany, Italy, Holland, Israel, the USA, Japan will take part in the Dakh 9 international festival of contemporary art in Minsk. The opening ceremony will take place in the Palace of Arts on 25 August, BelTA learnt from coordinator of the project Dmitry Yurkevich.

The festival will display art and sculpture, photography and performance, literature and music, theatre art and cinema. Collages, photos, pictures, sculptures will reflect an original and unique view on the reality by avant-gardists, surrealists, expressionists.

A part of art-projects will be developed and showcased during the festival. The major goal of the project is to develop a creative dialogue between Belarusian and foreign artists. The festival will stay open till 20 September.

Belarus to celebrate 150th birthday anniversary of Henry Veisengoph

Sun Aug 9 21:00:00 2009 GMT

The 150th birthday anniversary of Henry Veisengoph, a famous painter and graphic artist, is celebrated on 7 August.

Henry Veisengoph lived in Belarus and Poland. He attended the art school of Gerson in Warsaw and graduated from the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. The artist spent most of his life in Rusakovichi village of the Pukhovichi region.

Henry Veisengoph was mainly a landscape painter. His most famous painting “Snow” was presented at the exhibition in St. Petersburg in 1888 and was awarded a silver medal in Paris in 1890. Veisengoph’s landscape “A corner in Polny” was awarded a golden medal in Lvov in 1891, while the painting “Belarusian dormitory. Rusakovichi” won a prize in Berlin.

Henry Veisengoph presented “Anticipation”, “Geese”, ”Elk”, “View of Polesye” and other paintings at the exhibition in Minsk in 1911. The painter is also known as a graphic artist. The artist decorated the agriculture-industry exhibition in Minsk in 1901, designed diploma sketches.

Henry Veisengoph died in 1922. His works are featured in the museums of Warsaw, Krakov and the National Museum of Arts of Belarus.

Minsk to host international theater festival ‘Panorama’

Mon Aug 3 21:00:00 2009 GMT

Venezuelan theater Gota Dulce will take part in the Minsk international festival ‘Panorama’ for the first time, BelTA learnt from Igor Skripka, theater editor of the literary and drama department of the Yanka Kupala National Academic Theater.
The 4th international theater festival ‘Panorama’ will gather 21 theaters from Belarus, Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Estonia, Switzerland and Venezuela. The programme of the festival includes theater project ‘Theater-online’ and the St. Petersburg Days of Culture.
Belarus will be represented by nine theaters of Minsk: the Yanka Kupala National Academic Theater, the Maxim Gorky National Academic Theater of Drama, the Belarus National Theater of Young Spectator, the Belarus National Puppet Show, the Belarus National Theater of Drama, the Evgeny Mirovich Theater-Studio, the Minsk New Theater of Drama, the Katya Ogorodnikova Theater Project, InGest Theater. On 7-12 October, they will represent their festival performances.
The Wierszalin Theater (Poland) will open the foreign part of the festival on the stage of the Yanka Kupala National Academic Theater on 13 October.
The motto of the 4th international theater festival ‘Panorama’ is ‘Theater without Borders’.

Trostenets war memorial near Minsk to udnergo major reconstruction

Wed Jul 29 21:00:00 2009 GMT

The Trostenets Memorial near Minsk will be turned into an international site, Alexander Akentiev, chief of the general layout department of the Minskgrad development agency, told a press conference on 29 July.

In 1941-1945, the Nazis killed 206,500 people in the vicinity of the village of Malyi Trostenets. Among them were civilians, including citizens of eight Western European countries, participants of the anti-fascist underground movement, partisan movement, POWs and also Minsk residents.

“This site should be viewed as international. Belarus is known in Europe for the accomplishments in culture, sports, industry. People from those eight European countries should know that their compatriots were killed in Belarus during the war,” Alexander Akentiev said.

Alexander Andronchik, head of the urban planning and improvement department of the architecture and town-planning committee of the Minsk City Hall, reminded that the committee has announced a national contest for the best Trostenets Memorial design. Applications can be submitted from 27 July till 7 August. Contest works will be considered by 22 October 2009. The works on the Trostenets Memorial will be divided into stages taking into account the large scale of the project (the memorial occupies 124 hectares).

The first stage will concentrate on the improvement of the territory. The major efforts will be focused on the place where concentration camp prisoners were kept and executed. Camp prisoners were considered as doubly killed, they were shot first and then burnt. Their ashes were scattered around Trostenets. In this respect the specialists believe it is necessary to preserve the initial form of the landscape and not to construction any high structure there.

Moreover, the land where the memorial is situated is very expensive. Minsk could construct a residential area for the estimated 15,000 people. “Yet the city wants this place to remain sacred,” Alexander Akentiev.

9 performers to represent Belarus at international youth song contest in Rostov-on-Don

Mon Jul 13 21:00:00 2009 GMT

Nine Belarusian performers will represent Belarus at the international youth song contest in Rostov-on-Don, which will be held in September 2009 during the 4th International Festival “Youth for the Union State”, first secretary of BRSM Yuri Krivodubskiy told BelTA.
The participants include Ekaterina Cvirko (Katrin) and Kseniya Baranovskaya from Minsk, Veronika Chernyavskaya (Minsk oblast), Diana Lunina (Brest oblast), Svetlana Mosina and Dmitry Mulyarchik (Grodno oblast), the Miss Silence band (Gomel oblast), Viktoriya Shneiderova and Sergei Polozov (Mogilev oblast).
The 4th International Festival “Youth for the Union State” will be held in Rostov-on-Don on 22-28 September under the auspices of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Belarus-Russia Union State. A number of events will be organized as part of the festival, including the event titled “We are Faithful to the Cherished Memory” and a press conference involving the deputies of the Belarus-Russia Union State Parliamentary Assembly, organizers, and participants of the festival. In addition, a sitting of the Commission of the Parliamentary Assembly on social politics, science, culture and humanitarian issues is scheduled to be held in Don State Technical University. The exhibition of youth public organizations of Belarus, Russia and Rostov-on-Don “Step Forward” will be opened. On 25 September there will be the final round of the international contest of young singers. The next day the festival will culminate in a gala performance “Two Countries Sharing One Destiny” featuring the prize-winners of the song contest, bands, pop performers from Russia and Belarus, and other festival participants.

Belarus makes great efforts to preserve cultural heritage-Raine Spencer

Mon Jul 13 21:00:00 2009 GMT

Belarus serves an example of preserving and multiplying the national cultural heritage, Countess Raine Spencer (stepmother of the late Diana, Princess of Wales) said as she and a Harrods delegation visited Belkhudozhpromysly store.

The Belarusian company held a presentation of its products. The major goal of the impromptu excursion was to introduce the foreign guests to the peculiarities of the Belarusian national culture. “We hope that after visiting our store the British guests will get interested not only in our products, but also in the history of our country,” Belkhudozhpromysly Director General Valery Gribanov said greeting the delegation.

The guests could see Belarusian linen table-cloths, napkins with traditional embroidery, hand-made ceramics. The company also demonstrated a collection of linen clothing that combines elements of the contemporary fashion and traditional decoration. “It is wonderful that Belarus has preserved century-old traditions and customs. In Great Britain, unfortunately, the younger generation started to forget its roots,” the Countess said.

Belkhudozhpromysly is the major producer of goods of vernacular arts and souvenirs in Belarus. It is composed of 19 industrial enterprises that manufacture about 5,000 descriptions of products from linen, wood, straw and ceramics. The products of the company are sold in Belarus’ largest stores.

Harrods Group includes a number of companies in various business areas. The Group runs Harrods shopping mall which is among the world’s biggest. The store occupies a 18,000 m2 site and has over 90,000 m2 of selling space in over 330 departments.

France to consider opening cultural centre in Belarus

Thu Jul 9 21:00:00 2009 GMT

France plans to consider establishing a cultural center in Belarus, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to Belarus Mireille Musso told a press conference dedicated to Bastille Day on 9 July.

The head of the French diplomatic mission underlined that Belarus-France cultural cooperation is gaining momentum.

One of the major episodes of the historic past of the two countries is related to the Napoleonic era. A monument to the fallen French soldiers was erected near the village of Studenka of the Borisov region where the Napoleonic army crossed the Berezina river. This year a chairman of one of the largest funds of Napoleon in France is expected to come to Belarus to discuss the possible construction of a cultural centre of France in Minsk.

Mireille Musso noted that in the past year the Makbel publishing house presented a book by Patrick Rambaud describing the crossing of the Berezina river by the Napoleonic army.

According to the Ambassador, the visit of Director General of the National Museum of France Louvre Henri Loyrette to Minsk in June is a remarkable event of the Belarusian-French dialogue. “It is a great initiative of Belarusian Ambassador to France Alexander Pavlovsky,” Mireille Musso said.

The agenda of the Belarusian-French cultural dialogue features a project to shoot a documentary about the National Library of Belarus. A film crew from France led by young artist Raphael Zarka it to come to Belarus on 12-21 July.

In December a famous French music band is to give concerts in Minsk.

An exhibition of French impressionists in Minsk should be the highlight of the cultural events in 2010. About 40 paintings of impressionists from Normandy will be brought from France. Mireille Musso believes that it will be one of the most interesting joint cultural projects of the coming year.

The French Ambassador underlined the importance of the historic aspect of the Belarusian-French dialogue. She took part in the celebration of the 65th anniversary of Belarus’ liberation from the Nazi invaders. This year France is also going to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the liberation.

Minsk to host International Ballad Conference 13-18 July

Wed Jul 8 21:00:00 2009 GMT

Specialists from 23 countries will develop the methods of preservation of the world cultural heritage during the 39th International Ballad Conference “World Folk Heritage: Past, Present, and Perspective Directions of Research” which will be held in the Belarus National Academy of Sciences in Minsk on 13-18 July, BelTA learnt from Maria Zhitkova, spokeswoman of the Belarus National Academy of Sciences.
During six days, researchers from Belarus, Russia, Australia, Canada, USA, Great Britain, Romania and other countries will present more than 50 reports on the modern state, development, preservation and popularization of the national cultures.
The main goal of the forum is summing up the research of the folk heritage of the world countries and nations from 2001 to 2010, developing the research work programme for the world research centres for the period till 2020. The Minsk forum will promote the active cooperation between Belarusian and foreign scientists.
The annual conference “World Folk Heritage: Past, Present, and Perspective Directions of Research” has been held since 1966. Minsk will host the forum for the first time. In 2010, the conference will be held in the Netherlands.

Belarus-Russia Palette of Memories Exhibition to open in National Art Museum

Tue Jun 30 21:00:00 2009 GMT

A Belarusian-Russian exhibition project A Palette of Memories will open in the National Art Museum on 1 July, BelTA learnt from the Union State Permanent Committee that jointly with the Culture Ministry of Belarus has organized the event.

The project is marking the 65th anniversary of Belarus’ liberation from the Nazis. Apart from the National Art Museum, the exposition was prepared by the Belarusian State Museum of History of the Great Patriotic War.

The project is divided into two parts. The first section is a contemporary exposition of the works from the National Art Museum of Belarus, the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 (Moscow), the Belarusian State Museum of History of the Great Patriotic War. The exposition will run till 28 July. The second part of the project will be open from 1 July till 1 September. The exposition will display paintings, graphic arts and sculptures from the National Art Museum.

Henri Loyrette: cooperation with Belarus in exchanging museum collections is promising

Mon Jun 22 21:00:00 2009 GMT

Belarus and France are planning to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the victory in the 1812 war, Director General of Louvre Henri Loyrette told reporters as he visited the National Library of Belarus on June 19.
The Director General said that the two countries could implement joint projects to mark this remarkable date. Henri Loyrette also considers that cooperation in exchanging museum collections is quite promising. “We are cooperating with the Director of the National Art Museum. We have already discussed possible areas of cooperation and consider it is worth presenting the French art in Belarus and vice versa. You have a rich cultural heritage that can be of interest for the French,” he noted.
The French guest was impressed by the Belarusian icons in the National Art Museum, Belarusian hospitality and the national cuisine. He visited the castles in Mir and Nesvizh and saw the National Library in Minsk.
The Louvre delegation led by Director General Henri Loyrette stayed in Belarus on June 17-20. The major goal of the visit was to organise an exhibition of a painting from the French museum collection.
The Louvre, the former palace, is located in the centre of Paris. It has been a medieval fortress, the palace of French kings and a museum for the last two centuries. The fortress that later turned to a palace was built in the late 12th century. The Louvre had been rebuilt several times changing its appearance. The palace acquired its modern-day look in 1871. The collection of the museum known worldwide consists of the collection of Francis I, was later enriched by the collections of Louis XIII and Louis XIV, Napoleon I. The Louvre has embodied the concept of a truly 'universal' institution. The museum artworks cover a long geographic and time distance: from Western Europe to Iran through Greece, Egypt and the Middle East; up to 1848 from antiquities. The Louvre world-renown exhibits are Venus Genitrix and Winged Victory sculptures, well-known works of Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Titian, Rafael and Botticelli.