Season of National Festivals 2018: Day of Sweden

Minsk Upper Town instead of Stockholm Gamla Stan… On Saturday of 2 June the historic downtown of the Belarusian capital turned into Sweden in miniature. It was this beautiful Scandinavian country that opened a new season of national festivals at the Town Hall that have gained popularity among residents and guests of Minsk.

Entertainment zones – theatrical, cosmetic, sports, children's – were running all day long. The program included cooking classes together with the Swedes, Swedish cars tests and even a virtual trip to Scandinavia. The festival was opened by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Sweden to Belarus Christina Johannesson, Minsk Mayor Andrei Shorets and the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Sweden Dmitry Mironchik.

Jenny Berggren, the former lead singer in the Swedish pop band Ace of Base, came to Minsk to join in the festival. Before the show, she met with fans, held a sound-check and an autograph session, and in the evening gave a great show on the stage near the Minsk Town Hall. She sang both her new songs and the hits from the album Happy Nation which sold 23 million copies setting a Guinness record.

The event in the Upper Town was preceded by the Week of Sweden which started at the end of May. Diplomats, stage directors, designers, cooks, photographers and musicians from this northern country shared their views of their homeland in Minsk. A photo exhibition at the Pioner Cinema House told visitors why Swedish fathers eagerly take parental leave and how they raise children. More interesting facts about the life in Sweden could be found at the themed film festival. Education opportunities were presented by the Swedish Institute graduates, who got study grants or had internship at well-known companies.

The event was organized by the Swedish Embassy in Belarus jointly with the Minsk City Hall in cooperation with Swedish and Belarusian companies.