75% of all tickets have been sold for the festival programs of "Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk"

The last expanded meeting of the republican organizing committee for the preparation and holding of the anniversary forum, headed by Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Natalia Kochanova, was held in Vitebsk on the eve of the opening of the international arts festival.

The chairman of the Vitebsk City Executive Committee, Viktor Nikolaikin, spoke about the preparations for the "Slavianski Bazaar" meeting. In particular, he noted that by July 6, all construction work in the city center would be completed, including painting facades, repairing sidewalks and road surfaces, and improving courtyards. The cornflower festival will be decorated with over a million flowers planted in flowerbeds, and at night, neon lighting of houses and streets.

The former Alley of Stars, transformed into a square, will acquire a different look. A place is currently being prepared for the laying of a commemorative plaque for the laureate of the special prize of the President of Belarus "Through Art – to Peace and Mutual Understanding," whose name the organizers are keeping secret for now. At the last moment, another flagpole had to be made: a new country – a participant in the festival – appeared. This year, the foreign representation has expanded to 44 countries, which is a record number.

The forum director and president of the International Federation of Festival Organizations, Alexander Sidorenko, said that 75% of all tickets for the festival programs have already been sold. Another record has been broken – in the amount received from advertisers – 4.5 billion rubles (in 2015, it was a billion less). This indicates that the "Slavianski Bazaar" is approaching self-sufficiency. According to Alexander Sidorenko, all services for receiving, accrediting, accommodating, feeding, and providing transport services for the forum participants have started working. And this year, there will be more than 5.5 thousand of them.

– Stars of the first magnitude, such as Michael Bolton, Thomas Anders, Alla Pugacheva, and organizers of prestigious festivals, in particular, "Sanremo," will come to the anniversary "Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk." This places a great responsibility on us. We must show ourselves in the best possible light and prove that Vitebsk is capable of organizing an arts forum.

of the highest level, – noted Alexander Sidorenko.

At the meeting of the organizing committee, representatives of the services involved in the preparation and holding of the festival were heard, and all reported full readiness. Guests will be accommodated in comfortable hotels, fed, their safety will be ensured, and a good mood will be guaranteed.

Minister of Culture of Belarus Boris Svetlov emphasized that 2016 has been declared the Year of Culture in our country. And this is the main idea of the anniversary arts festival, which will be a kind of report on cultural events over the past 25 years in the Vitebsk region and throughout the republic.

After the meeting of the forum's organizing committee, Natalia Kochanova visited the main festival sites and shared her impressions:

– A huge amount of work has been done. A lot has been done in the city to prepare for the international forum. Speaking in youth slang, "Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk" is so well-promoted that there is no doubt that it will be interesting for guests, participants, and hosts alike. Over the past years, good traditions have been established, and it can be said that the festival has become nationwide in our country over 25 years. It is also known outside of Belarus, as evidenced by the growing number of countries sending their representatives to the arts forum. I am sure the celebration will be interesting and memorable.

Tatyana Pasternak. Photo by Anton STEPANISHCHEV. "Vitebskiye vesti".