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Belarus’ Bolshoi Theater to present Pathétique Memory Book project

An archive photo of the Bolshoi Theater of Belarus

MINSK, 2 May (BelTA) – On 7 May, the Bolshoi Theater of Belarus will present Pathétique Memory Book, a unique creative project featuring music by outstanding Belarusian composers and drawing on documentary evidence of the tragedy and heroism of the Belarusian people during the Great Patriotic War, BelTA learned from the theater’s press service.

The Pathétique Memory Book project is a theatrical performance blending elements of opera, oratorio, symphony, ballet, plastic drama, mystery, and multimedia light show. The production was created during the year of the 80th anniversary of Belarus’ liberation from the Nazi German invaders. It draws on works by Belarusian composers and documentary testimonies of the tragedy and heroism shown by the Belarusian people throughout the Great Patriotic War.

“This project represents our national cultural code. Today, we cannot imagine a single moment of our existence without historical memory and without passing that memory on to future generations. When the idea for this production first emerged, our immediate thought was to create a deeply serious work that would stand as a monument to the memory of those who lived through the Great Patriotic War,” said the production’s director, Anna Motornaya.

Art has an extraordinary ability to speak to audiences on a deep emotional level. On that evening, the production will become a bridge between the past and the present, as this project carries a vital mission: the preservation of historical memory, so that nothing like those events ever happens again on our land.

All the theater’s ensembles are involved in the project, including the opera, ballet, and choir troupes, the mime ensemble, and the Children’s Musical Theater Studio, totaling approximately 300 performers.

For the creation of this unique performance, the Bolshoi Theater of Belarus was awarded the Belarusian president’s special prizes for culture and art luminaries. In 2025, Pathétique Memory Book was presented in the unique setting of the Brest Fortress, as well as to audiences at the Bolshoi Theater of Russia (New Stage, Moscow).

The performance begins at 7:00 PM. 

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