Belarus Culture Day will be held today at the Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk

July 14, Vitebsk / Olga Bogacheva - BELTA /. Belarus Culture Day will be held today as part of the XXI International Arts Festival "Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk," the festival directorate informed a BELTA correspondent. Traditionally, this day will be opened by a press conference with the participation of Belarusian artists. The "We Remember and Are Proud!" event will bring together residents of the regional center, guests and participants of the festival at Victory Square, where flowers and wreaths will be laid at the Memorial Complex in honor of the liberator soldiers, partisans and underground fighters of the Vitebsk region. The guest of the Star Hour at the International Press Center at 3:00 PM will be a prominent figure in Belarusian theater and cinema, People's Artist of the USSR, holder of the Order and Medal of Francysk Skaryna, laureate of the "For Spiritual Revival" prize and other prestigious awards, honorary citizen of the hero city of Minsk, academician of the International Theatre Academy, Rostislav Ivanovich Yankovsky. He has over 160 leading roles in classical, contemporary, and foreign repertoire. Theater art lovers need no introduction to this brilliant artist. Film audiences also know him well from his roles in the films "Two Comrades Served" (Vasilchikov), "I, Francysk Skaryna" (Ivan Skaryna), "Ruins are Shooting..." (partisan detachment commander), "The Tale of the Star Boy" (Constellation Owner), "The State Counsellor" (Khrapov), "In June '41" (Wojciech Bielski), and others. Guests and participants of the "Slavianski Bazaar" have a unique opportunity to see Rostislav Yankovsky's performance today: at 7:00 PM, the play "Panie Kohanku" with his participation will be shown at the Yakub Kolas National Academic Drama Theater as part of the festival's theater project. The gala concert of Belarusian artists will take place at 10:00 PM at the Summer Amphitheater. The constellation of Belarusian artists who will perform for the audience includes Inna Afanasyeva, Irina Dorofeeva, Pyotr Elfimov, Valery Skorozhonok, Alexander Solodukha, Zhanet and Olga Plotnikova, Alexandra Drozdova, Alexander Tikhonovich and Yadviga Poplavskaya, Alexey Khlestov, Eduard Hanok, Sasha Nemo, Andrey Kolosov, Evgeny Slutsky, Dayana Sharshavitskaya, the folk music ensemble "Byaseda," the pop song ensemble "Buslik," the VIA "Charawnicy," the groups "Tiani-tolkay," "Federation," Look around, the Honored Collective of the Republic of Belarus State Dance Ensemble, the Dmitry Zalessky D.O.Z.SK.I. Theater of Modern Choreography (Minsk), and other artists. The event will be hosted by Isku Abalyan, Olga Nikiforova, Denis Parshin, and Alexander Patlis. A little earlier, on the same stage, participants of the XXI International Pop Song Performers Competition "Vitebsk-2012" will showcase their creative abilities to the audience and jury, which this year is headed by People's Artist of Russia Maxim Isaakovich Dunaevsky, performing to backing tracks. Twenty young artists are competing for victory in the competition: Ruslan (Armenia), Slavina Kalkandzhieva (Bulgaria), Đorđe Jovančić (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Federica Marinari (Italy), Dariya Gabdull (Kazakhstan), Luselia Roldan (Cuba), Samantha Tina (Latvia), Sasha Song (Lithuania), Boban Mojsoski (Macedonia), Alena Triboy (Moldova), Anastasia Kozlova (Russia), Alexandru (Romania), Suzana Dinić (Serbia), David Grom (Slovenia), Karina Gaziyants (Uzbekistan), Galina Konakh (Ukraine), Iva (Montenegro), Michaela Nosková (Czech Republic), Karina (Estonia), and Belarus's representative Evgeny Slavich, who will perform under number 8. Nika Antolos from Croatia has withdrawn from the competition program due to not receiving her visa in time. Numerous events will also take place at other cultural venues in the city. For example, Victory Square will host the presentation of youth initiatives. The Vitebsk Regional Philharmonic Hall will feature a concert "Stars of Helikon" by the "Helikon-Opera" theater (artistic director Dmitry Bertman, Russia), with performances by Ali Magomedov, Dmitry Skorikov, and other artists. The House of Cinema will open the film project "Slavianski Bazaar" with the film "Lonely Island" (Belarus, Latvia, Estonia) directed by Peeter Simm (Estonia). The Yakub Kolas National Academic Theater and the "Vitebsk" Concert Hall at 7:00 PM will become centers of pilgrimage for theatergoers, while the Art Cafe "Maestro" will gather fans of the VIP-jazz band and Anna Guzikova (Russia). -0-