Festival Vitebsk celebrated Youth Day
Youth Day kicked off with the art parade "Belarus in My Heart!", which was attended by about 700 young people. Dancers of various styles, athletes, parkour practitioners, jumpers, roller skaters, skateboarders, mimes, "living statues", and car enthusiasts with tuned cars paraded along a section of Lenin Street. During the procession, they all demonstrated their skills in their chosen hobbies. Then, the participants of the celebration and representatives of the regional authorities laid flowers and wreaths at the memorial complex in honor of the Soviet soldiers-liberators, partisans, and underground fighters of the Vitebsk region.
After the official part, Victory Square turned into a venue for the subculture festival of modern youth. The final gala concert of the youth festival "Fire of Dance" started on the stage, featuring about 300 best representatives from each region and Minsk. As noted by the organizers, this year it was decided to remove the competitive element from the event and hold it in a festival atmosphere. Young people showcased their talent not only in modern dances but also in folk and sports dances. In the "Sports Latin" nomination, "First Vice-Queen Spring" Maria Solovyova impressively shone.
Adjacent to the stage, a zone was set up where attendees could participate in an intuitive football masterclass. Visually impaired footballers from the Vitebsk team, as well as the national team of Belarus, demonstrated ball control techniques while blindfolded and taught how to shoot at the goal without being able to see. Each participant had the opportunity to try playing intuitive football themselves and understand that even with the absence of sight, one can engage in sports. This unusual zone appeared here not by chance. The fact is that
Vitebsk resident Dmitry Kholodovich also plays in the national blind football team. He has been involved in blind football since 2008 under the guidance of coach Oleg Kirillov. The man has participated in various competitions. In addition to his passion for sports, Dmitry travels a lot.
"I got into traveling thanks to sports, because we started going to sports competitions in different countries as a team. Then I decided to travel independently. First, it was the CIS countries, and then I tried distant countries - Germany, I have been to Switzerland three times, Italy, Serbia, Finland, etc. Sometimes I travel alone, sometimes with a tour group. Sports have helped me a lot in this," said 32-year-old Dmitry Kholodovich. The second stage of the open championship Belarus Skateboard Challenge was held on one of the platforms. Today's competition will be one of the stages in the preparation of our athletes for the II European Games in Minsk and the Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The Chairman of the Belarusian Skateboarding Federation, Gleb Bentsiovsky, told reporters that spectators can not only watch the athletes but also have the opportunity to participate in tests of electric skateboards. At 8:00 PM, a DJ battle will take place on Victory Square. Representatives from all regions of Belarus will showcase their skills. Mogilev region will be represented by 13-year-old Elina Karavaeva from Bykhov.
"I started DJing three years ago, my dad was into it, he helps and supports me now. We prepared for the competition at home. Music is everything to me, so I want to do it professionally and become a participant in an electronic music festival in Miami," Elina told reporters. There are many platforms operating at Youth Day. Somewhere basketball players and parkour athletes showed their skills, at another point, those who wished were painted with a chosen Belarusian ornament pattern on their cheek. They did not missspectators and a strongman competition.
Girls were among the participants. 16-year-old Daria Vezhnovec, who already holds the title of Master of Sports, has been involved in weightlifting for the last two years and says it's her calling. The girl participates in republican competitions, but performing outdoors in front of an audience is a new experience for her.
"I have a sports family: my father was involved in weightlifting, and my mother played basketball and did trampoline jumping. I used to fence for six years, but my coach left Vitebsk, and there were no others in the city. Then, my current weightlifting coach, Sergey Mikhailovich Kolybin, suggested I try this sport, and I got hooked," Daria told us before her warm-up. At the Youth Day, everyone could find an activity to their liking. Minsk roller skaters amazed with their spectacular tricks. Guys on BMX bikes also did not stay aside; the audience watched their jumps with interest and bated breath. There was no time to be bored at the "Alternative" yard games festival either. Here, the youth prepared a lot of surprises for the guests. These included playing the good old "rubber band" and "hopscotch," and a giant "Twister." The festival program also featured giant bowling, laser tag battles, and skipping rope over 4 meters long. In the evening, various activities were prepared for the guests. The final of the republican competition "Battle of DJs 'Belarus and I'" will energize the youth. According to the organizers, every participant and guest of the holiday can express their suggestions for improving the event on the BRSM website. All ideas will be collected and considered for the preparation of next year's celebration.