For the first time, the flags of Vitebsk and the region will be raised at the celebrations in the regional center on Independence Day

June 30, Vitebsk / Sergei Kochetov - BELTA /. About 20,000 Vitebsk residents will take part in a festive procession in Vitebsk on July 3, dedicated to Independence Day and the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from the Nazi invaders, the Ideological Work Department of the City Executive Committee informed a BELTA correspondent. For the first time, the event will be held under the flags of the Vitebsk region and Vitebsk, which will be raised at the epicenter of the celebrations on Victory Square. In the regional center, the celebrations will begin with the laying of wreaths and flowers at the Eternal Flame near the Monument to the Liberator Soldiers. After the ceremony, a rally will be held with the participation of the leaders of the region and the city, veterans, representatives of labor collectives, youth organizations, and educational institutions. Military honors will be rendered by servicemen of the Vitebsk garrison units, after which the most large-scale stage of the celebration program will begin – the procession of public columns, which will be led by Honorary Citizens of Vitebsk and distinguished residents of the regional center. Each of the columns will have its own features in terms of thematic design and composition of participants. In connection with the procession, traffic in the center of Vitebsk will be restricted. On this day, festive entertainment events will be held at all concert venues and in the park areas of the regional center. The highlight of the program will be a water show called "Through the Centuries," dedicated to the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus and the 1035th anniversary of Vitebsk. Such a celebration will be organized for the first time in a park on the bank of the Vitba River. Events from the rich and complex history of their native Vitebsk, reconstructed by the creative teams of the regional center, will be presented to the residents and guests of Vitebsk. The final festive concert will be held in the Summer Amphitheater, at the end of which artists of the Belarusian pop scene and artistic groups of the region, together with the audience, will take part in the "Let's Sing the Anthem Together!" campaign. At the last chords of the anthem, a salute and a colorful fireworks display will be given. -0-