A landmark event in the festive program was the unveiling of a monument to Grand Duke Algirdas, with whose name an important stage in the city's development is associated. During his reign, Algirdas transformed it into one of the most powerful in Eastern Europe.

Volunteers from the regions are proposing to combat the spread of "spice" (synthetic cannabinoids) using interactive methods. This initiative, along with other applications for participation in the large-scale project "Volunteer Initiatives of Civil Society in Certain Regions of Belarus," was discussed today by the coordination council for the selection of volunteer initiatives of the Vitebsk regional organization of the Belarusian Red Cross Society.

In Miory, everything is ready for the construction of a modern white tinplate production plant. Several hundred people will work there, which means that jobs will be found for many local residents. As Sergey Chaburanov, director of the limited liability company "MMPZ-group", said, over 4 billion 200 million rubles have been invested in the preparation of the site. The main volume of work was carried out by meliorators. They removed fertile soil, which will later be used for landscaping the plant territory and the regional center.

Water in the Western Dvina is rising by almost a meter per day, the Vitebsk regional meteorological center informed a BELTA correspondent.

The First Bell holiday in schools of the Vitebsk region will take place on August 31, a BELTA correspondent was informed by the education department of the regional executive committee.

A meeting of Belarusian and Latvian rescuers will take place on December 4-6 in Novopolotsk. This will be the seventh meeting of the working group on cooperation in the field of disaster prevention, natural disasters, other emergencies, and the elimination of their consequences.

Anyone interested will be able to get acquainted with the lives of homeless Shariks and Murziks on March 1 - World Cat Day.

The mammology center at the Vitebsk Regional Diagnostic Center has combined ultrasound diagnostics rooms, X-ray and electroimpedance mammography, an operating room, as well as consultations with oncologists-mammologists.

In settlements of the Vitebsk region, places have been designated where picketing for the purpose of collecting voter signatures to nominate candidates for the President of Belarus is prohibited. Corresponding decisions were made by the Vitebsk City and District Executive Committees.

Individual entrepreneurs in the Republic of Belarus will be able to sell light industry goods without documents confirming their purchase until January 1, 2016.

The largest number of observers was registered by precinct commissions – 4,622 people, and district commissions – 102. In Vitebsk, district commissions registered 27 people, the city commission in Novopolotsk – 5, and 5 observers received accreditation from the regional commission.

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko will make a working trip to the Vitebsk region today, during which he will take part in the opening ceremony of the XVIII International Festival of Arts "Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk". This was reported to BelTA by the press service of the head of the Belarusian state. The main events of the festival will take place from July 10 to 16 with the participation of representatives from over 30 countries. About 70 festival events will be held on various venues in Vitebsk. These include gala concerts, solo concerts, adult and children's competitions, drama theater performances, meetings with famous cultural and art figures, fine art exhibitions, and the work of folk craftsmen.