Vitebsk may become a permanent venue for Gazprom festivals
Vitebsk may become a permanent festival venue for Gazprom. This was announced to journalists by the Chairman of the Management Board of Gazprom OJSC, Alexey Miller, on the evening of May 14 in Vitebsk at a press conference dedicated to the "Fakel" corporate festival, according to a BELTA correspondent.
"When deciding to hold the 'Fakel' in Vitebsk, the management of Gazprom specifically stipulated that if the city receives an 'excellent' rating based on the results of its holding, the possibility of further holding the festival in Belarus would be considered," said Alexey Miller.
This year, the "Fakel" corporate festival of amateur creative groups and performers from subsidiaries and organizations of Gazprom OJSC is being held in Belarus for the first time. Holding it here became possible thanks to the inclusion of Beltransgaz into Gazprom as a subsidiary company, Gazprom Transgaz Belarus. The choice of Vitebsk as the main concert venue is due to a number of factors. "The city has very strong festival traditions. It has experience in holding large-scale high-level events, and a developed infrastructure network that was brought into compliance with our requirements, which are the highest, in a short period of time," emphasized Alexey Miller. He also noted that today "Fakel" is an international forum that includes participants from France, Slovenia, Austria, and China. The festival is mass-oriented, aimed at strengthening spiritual values, contributes to the preservation and development of national art, and is designed to support young talents and innovation in culture. Its holding in Vitebsk will undoubtedly serve to strengthen the friendship of fraternal peoples, is convinced the head of Gazprom.
The high level of technical support for the festival was also emphasized by the First Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus, Vladimir Semashko. According to him, despite Vitebsk's title as the cultural capital of Belarus and its many years of experience in holding various festivals, the city prepared for the reception of guests and participants of the "Fakel" festival with particular diligence and thoroughness. A significant amount of investment was directed towards the preparation and improvement of infrastructure, concert venues, and hotels. Vladimir Semashko also noted the unanimity and efficiency of "Gazprom" in resolving all issues related to the city's preparation for the festival.
The final round of the V Corporate Festival "Fakel" of OJSC "Gazprom" is taking place in Vitebsk from May 13-19. According to the Deputy Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, Vladimir Terentyev, the city is hosting 2.7 thousand guests during these days, including 1.3 thousand participants of the forum, who are accommodated in Vitebsk, Orsha, Polotsk, Novopolotsk, and in Vitebsk and Gorodok districts. "In a short period of time for the city's preparation, we managed to do a lot. It was a good, clear, coordinated effort by the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, the City Executive Committee, OJSC "Gazprom", and OJSC "Gazprom Transgaz Belarus"," added Vladimir Terentyev, expressing gratitude to "Gazprom" for financial assistance in preparing for the forum.