The competition programs and projects of "Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk" will bring together representatives from 33 countries

Vitebsk must impress the guests of "Slavianski Bazaar", which, despite objective difficulties, has not lost its status as an international festival, noted Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Petrishenko at a meeting of the organizing committee for the preparation and holding of the forum.

This year, 33 flags of the participating countries of "Slavianski Bazaar" will be raised on the flagpoles at the Summer Amphitheatre, ten more than last year.

– We are holding the festival for the second year in a pandemic, safety must be given special attention, – the Deputy Prime Minister addressed the local services.

The agenda included issues of Vitebsk's readiness for the large-scale forum, concerning both the city's infrastructure and the creative component. The Chairman of the Vitebsk City Executive Committee, Nikolai Orlov, provided explanations on the first point. He noted that 77 facilities are included in the preparation plan for "Slavianski Bazaar". These include the reconstruction of Gagarin Street, road network repairs, facade painting, tidying up festival venues, the hotel complex, catering facilities, etc. 900,000 flowers will be planted in the festival capital, but the main flower will be the cornflower. Its image will adorn houses, public transport, billboards and panels, light and food industry products.

Trade tents will be set up on the central streets of the city. Traditionally, sales exhibitions "Small Business in Festival Vitebsk" and "Slavic Kaleidoscope" will be held.

The mayor also spoke about how medical services will be organized – ambulance crews will be on duty at the amphitheater, and a medical station for artists will be equipped next to the dressing rooms.

Special attention was paid to tourist services during the organizing committee meeting, in particular, buses will run to Ilya Repin's museum-estate in Zdravnevo, and guests will be offered walking tours of ancient Vitebsk and places associated with Shagal.

Youth Day at the festival will be held under the slogan "Youth Ignites," said Vladimir Babichev, First Secretary of the regional organization of the BRSM NGO. This year, representatives of all youth movements of Belarus from different regions of the country will gather in Vitebsk. Various national competitions, show programs, games, and sports competitions will be held.

The main themes of the festival, which are highlighted throughout the opening concert of the arts forum, are the Year of National Unity, the 30th anniversary of the CIS, and the 30th anniversary of the "Slavianski Bazaar," emphasized Anatoly Markevich, Minister of Culture of Belarus. Gleb Lapitsky, General Director of the "Vitebsk" Cultural Center and Director of the Forum, also spoke about the creative content of the programs.

– Each concert is unique. For example, the National Academic Concert Orchestra conducted by Mikhail Finberg will perform compositions by all laureates of the "Through Art – to Peace and Mutual Understanding" prize. The performance by the "Kabardinka" ensemble will be colorful. "Theater Meetings," "Puppet Quarter," the regional philharmonic society, museums, and exhibition halls will gather their fans, – emphasized Gleb Lapitsky.

Vladimir Pertsov, Minister of Information of Belarus, informed about how the festival events will be broadcast. All concerts will be shown by Belarusian channels, the opening and closing concerts can be watched on RTR, and broadcast agreements are in place with Kazakhstan and Armenia. More than 30 applications from various media outlets have already been submitted for accreditation to the "Slavianski Bazaar."

Photo by Dmitry OSIPOV,  "Vitebskiye Vesti".