Vitebsk is preparing to celebrate the New Year holidays on a grand scale

The leadership of the Vitebsk City Executive Committee has taken care to ensure that preparations for the beloved holiday are productive this year, and that the holiday itself is bright, unforgettable, and colorful.

Vitebsk on New Year's Eve, as always, is full of surprises: interesting meetings, promotions, mass events, which, unlike any other holiday, embrace everyone, from young to old.

What has been prepared for the citizens and guests of the city was discussed at a press conference held last Friday by Vladimir Shloma, Deputy Chairman of the City Executive Committee.

Vladimir Arkadyevich, in particular, noted that specialists from many city services have already worked hard to make the pre-New Year's hustle and bustle pleasant. Work has also been done with tour operators to attract tourists to our city, and hotels and public catering are fully prepared to receive guests. By the way, it is expected that at least 1.5 thousand Russians, despite the fluctuations in the Russian ruble exchange rate, will celebrate the New Year in Vitebsk.

In a new format, as noted at the press conference, the traditional procession of Santa Clauses and Snow Maidens will take place this year. Taking into account the wishes of the citizens, it has been moved to a more convenient time. It will begin on December 17 at 6:45 PM, when adults will have time to finish their workday and come to the fairy-tale procession with their children. There will even be a real live goat, the symbol of 2015, in the cart with Christmas characters that follows the main characters of the holiday during the parade. Musicians from the brass band will be dressed as Santa Clauses. A certain surprise is also being prepared with the appearance of the main Santa Claus of the region at the city-wide event "Let's Light the Christmas Tree Together!", but this is still a secret.

By the way, in connection with the procession and the event, traffic will be stopped on the section of Lenin Street from Freedom Square to Victory Square from 6:40 PM to 7:00 PM.

On the same day, along with the main Christmas tree on Victory Square, all the Christmas trees in the districts and microdistricts of the regional center will also light up. Cultural institutions have prepared to ensure that a holiday awaits people near each of them. The centers of attraction for the "Let's Light the Christmas Tree Together!" campaign in the districts will be Proletarskaya Square, the areas near the "Brigantina" cinema, the Palace of Creativity of Children and Youth of the city of Vitebsk, and in Bilevo. Musical fairy tales and interactive shows have been prepared. The most grandiose event promises to be "Neznaika. Adventures" - an interactive musical with soap bubbles and a laser show in the "Vitebsk" concert hall.

This year, 6700 LED bulbs and 700 will be used to decorate the Christmas tree on Victory Square.

"blinking" strobe lamps, 96 LED decorations, and 20 sets of "melting icicles". As journalists were assured at the press conference, the concept for decorating the main New Year tree has not changed – it is a home Christmas tree with its special magnetism. Spiders, glowing spider-shaped garlands, will decorate trees not only in the city center but also along Moskovsky Prospekt; GorSvet will also decorate trees in Bilevo, near the Children's Home, in Medcenter, on Proletarskaya Square, near the sports palace "Komsomolets".

Only the weather is hindering the full operation of the ice rinks for now, but all conditions have been created for ice skating enthusiasts.

Representatives of the largest trading organizations in Vitebsk, invited to the press conference, shared their plans for an unforgettable pre-New Year marathon. And the discussion was not only about the discount system, which is quite impressive and planned for the pre-holiday days, but also about the organization of tastings and charity events.

All shops will operate in a special mode, and the confectionery and culinary departments of trade enterprises will work with double, or even triple, load to maximally ease the housewives' labor in preparing the festive table. Each of the retail chains has prepared its own highlights. For example, in the Vitebsk Department Store, before the New Year, salespeople will try on new looks, and Santa Claus with a bag of gifts will walk around the floors. In the shops

"Vesty" will accept orders for banquet dishes, and also planned a promotion "Gift for Purchase", and it speaks for itself. In "Vitebskiye Produkty" dessert tastings, known, by the way, far beyond the city, promise to be especially attractive. A fairy tale for visitors to the cafe "U Ganny" awaits adults and children, and in Bilevo you can take a picture with a 5-meter-high chicken, a symbol of Vitebsk Poultry Factory products. In "Yevroopt" each of the buyers will be able to take part in a charity event to help deprived children.

Transport on New Year's Eve is a special topic. According to the established tradition, it will operate until 5 am, and from 5.30 am it will run according to the schedule, as usual.

Vitebsk, as an exhibition and museum center, also has a pronounced festive atmosphere during the New Year holidays. The spirit of New Year and Christmas is present in the exhibitions; and, for example, upon visiting the M.F. Shmeryov Museum, a visitor on December 23 will attend the evening concert

"Partisan Christmas Tree", carol meetings on December 26 and 27 will be held at the I.E. Repin Museum-Estate in Zdravnevo. Theatrical and philharmonic posters also feature performances for children.

And, of course, many will have the opportunity to prepare New Year's gifts at fairs and sales of goods at reduced prices, which will be held in the regional center on December 20 and 27.

Natalia KONOKHOVA, "Vitbichi"