Polotsk officially became the cultural capital of Belarus in 2010
An important socio-cultural event has been launched, which provides an opportunity to touch upon one's spiritual heritage, said Minister of Culture Pavel Latushko, presenting the city with a special diploma. Among many cities, Polotsk was chosen because of its special attitude towards the preservation of historical values and the enrichment of spiritual heritage.
According to Pavel Latushko, the status of "Cultural Capital" implies that the best creative groups of the country will perform in the city, exhibitions will open, and festivals will be held. Among them, he mentioned performances by artists of the National Academic Grand Opera and Ballet Theatre of Belarus, the Presidential Orchestra, the orchestra led by Mikhail Finberg, and the ensembles "Kharoshki" and "Pesniary".
The Ministry of Culture initiated the "Cultural Capital of Belarus" campaign with the aim of intensifying cooperation with local authorities, further developing and enriching the cultural life of the regions, stimulating local public initiatives to support national culture, and attracting the attention of the general public and tourists.
The solemn opening ceremony of the "Cultural Capital of Belarus" campaign will be continued by a performance of the Belarusian State Honored Choreographic Ensemble "Kharoshki" at the Polotsk City Palace of Culture, and the ensemble "Classic-Avant-garde" at the St. Sophia Cathedral. An exhibition of lithographs by Napoleon Orda from the collections of the National Historical Museum of Belarus will open at the City Art Gallery. The transfer of works of art from the collections of the National Art Museum and the National Historical Museum to the city's museums is also planned.
Throughout the year, Polotsk plans to host an exhibition of Ivan Khrutsky's paintings dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the artist's birth, and an exposition of contemporary Belarusian artists. An exhibition of Francysk Skaryna's books from the collections of the National Library of Belarus will be held at the Museum of Belarusian Book Printing on the occasion of the museum's 20th anniversary. The program "Masterpieces of Opera Art within the Walls of Ancient St. Sophia" will be performed by soloists of the National Academic Grand Opera and Ballet Theatre of the Republic of Belarus. Polotsk will become a venue for concert programs of the international festival "Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk". The event plan includes tours and concert performances by leading creative groups of Belarus, festivals, competitions, and film premieres. At the end of the year, a presentation of Polotsk as the Cultural Capital of 2010 will take place in Minsk.
Europe has been choosing its cultural capital since 1985. The first to receive this status were the Greek Athens. Since the late 1990s, cities in America and the Middle East have been receiving the status of cultural capital. In 2010, the status of European cultural capitals was awarded to Pécs (Hungary), Essen (Germany), and Istanbul (Turkey). -0-