Press releases

Belarus Events Calendar: DECEMBER 2022

Minsk tops CIS list of cities for virtual tours

Photo exhibition to mark the 160th anniversary of Belarusian Railway

Unique photos are on display at the largest railway stations across Belarus as part of the exhibition project "Belarusian Railway. 160 years”. The project hails the 160th anniversary which will be celebrated on 27 December. Under the slogan "In our history all events are important" the project showcases the milestones in the sixteen-decade history of railway transport in Belarus. The exhibition is on display at railway stations in Minsk, Baranovichi, Brest, Vitebsk, Gomel, Grodno, Orsha, Mogilev and at the Porechye station, which is regarded as a starting point in the history of rail transport on the Belarusian land.

When: From 19 August till the end of the year
Where: largest railway stations

Tour program ‘Loshitsa Estate in the 19th -  early 20th centuries’

Loshitsa Estate, one of the most popular sights of Minsk, invites you to go on a musical journey. During the tour of the estate, visitors will not only see the stylized interiors of the estate in which the eminent owners Eustachy Prushinsky, Ivan and Eustachy Lyubansky lived, but also learn about their fates, habits, way of life, and secrets that the walls of the estate keep. Musical program for the tour will feature the polonaise of the diplomat and composer Michal Kleofas Oginski "Farewell to the Motherland", Napoleon Orda’s piece "Serenade", a piece from the collection "Polotsk Notebook", the works of the German Johannes Brahms and Russian composer-philosopher Alexander Scriabin.

When: every Sunday at 15.00 and 17.00
Where: Loshitsa Estate museum, 10 Chizhevskikh Proezd, Minsk

Exhibition of old postcards

A century ago, "open letters" were one of the most accessible ways to communicate at a distance, and the mass issue of cards at the end of the 19th century contributed to the development of deltiology, the hobby of collecting postcards. Vintage postcards, issued between 1900 and 1918, are historical artifacts. They tell about the changes in the urban environment of that time: horse-drawn railway lines and cabs, a telephone station, first cars running along horse-drawn carts, railway. Messages are also of value. These are congratulations, news and requests of citizens and travelers who happened to be in the provincial Minsk in the early 20th century.

When: from August to the end of 2022
Where: Minsk Town Hall, 2a Svobody Square, Minsk

Exhibition of Belarusian amulet dolls

Belarusians have had amulet dolls from ancient times: they reflect ideas and beliefs, perception of the world. Playing with dolls was more than fun for our ancestors. In old times, it was believed that the more a child played dolls, the more prosperous their family would  be and the luckier their life would be. The main job of the doll was to protect a person from evil forces, to take on diseases and misfortunes, and also to help children enter adulthood. Visitors to the exhibition "The treasure trove of memory" will learn the history of Belarusian amulet dolls and will make amulet dolls amulets for their family using the technique that was in use until the middle of the last century.

When: until 2022 year-end
Where: Loshitskaya Usadba museum, 8/2 Chizhevskikh Proezd, Minsk

Tragedy of Peoples exhibition in Minsk

The Tragedy of the Peoples is a multimedia project dedicated to the fate of Soviet citizens – victims of the Nazi aggression and occupation, those who were tortured in ghettos and concentration camps, deported to Germany and neighboring countries for slave labor. The exhibition features more than 100 digitized rare documents from the holdings of the Moscow Victory Museum. These are photographs of war correspondents, documents, posters, leaflets, front-line drawings and works by post-war artists testifying to the crimes of the Nazis. The exhibition in the Belarusian capital is part of The Territory of Victory project. Launched in 2017, it has already brought together more than 250 Russian and foreign museums and 7,000 museum workers, and drawn 10 million visitors.

When: 10 October – 10 December
Where: Belarusian Cultural Center for Spiritual Revival, 121 Kalinovsky Street, Minsk

Exhibition to mark Feast of the Intercession exhibition in Brest

An exclusive collection of wedding attire is on display at the exhibition “Bride is Ready After the Intercession”. Since ancient times the feast of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin has been considered an fortunate day for marriages. By this time the work in the fields was over, and preparations for the wedding could be made. The exhibition includes wedding dresses from the last century, including dresses in the New Look style, minis from the 1960s, guipure floor-length dresses and simple ones from the 1970s, Princess Diana-like dresses, cotton, satin, and nylon dresses. On display are also archival wedding photos, registry books, albums, invitations to the celebration, and wedding decorations. Attributes of a traditional Belarusian wedding is a draw.

When: through mid December 2022
Where: Brest Oblast Local History Museum, 60 Karla Marksa Street, Brest
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Exhibition project "Museum of Christmas Tree Baubles" in the National Historical Museum

The Museum of Christmas Baubles in the run-up to the New Year will again open its doors to connoisseurs of original decorations. All in all, the collection, which is replenished every year, contains more than 2,000 baubles from 70 countries. Here, each object reflects its time, while the exhibition itself narrates the history of the creation of glass baubles and other decorations from the mid-19th century to the present day. Guests can see beautiful vintage toys and purchase or even make a gift for loved ones.

When: November 6, 2022 – January 23, 2023
Where: National Historical Museum, 12 Karl Marx Street, Minsk
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''Touch the Past'' in the Wankowicz House-Museum 

Belarusian artist-illustrator Pavel Tatarnikov’s exhibition calls to "Touch the Past". The artist is known for his illustrations to the books of such world-famous authors as William Shakespeare, Alexander Dumas, Robert Louis Stevenson, the Brothers Grimm… The winner of the highest European Golden Apple award, Pavel Tatarnikov cooperates with Belarusian, European, Japanese and Chinese publishing houses...

When: 9 November 2022 – 10 January 2023
Where: “Wankowicz House-Museum. Culture and Art of the First Half of the 19th Century", a branch of the National Art Museum of Belarus, 33a Internatsionalnaya Street, Minsk

"World Pop Art: From Warhol to Banksy"

The National Center for Contemporary Art and the FARBA Gallery have launched a new exhibition project "World Pop Art: From Warhol to Banksy".The exhibition will present about 80 works: from the most popular Marilyn and Campbell's Soup Cans series by Andy Warhol to such brilliant but controversial modern successors of pop art as Richard Ryan and street art icon Banksy. The works are made in various techniques, each of which was considered by the artist to be worthy of the viewer. There are graphics, posters, and objects loaned by private collectors and galleries. The organizers noted that now pop art has found a second wind - interest in it is reviving. The exhibition will also present the works of Belarusian authors, whose works complement the exposition. Also, guests will be offered to go through a thematic quest. The exhibition space will also encompass original photo zones.

When: 25 November 2022 – 22 January 2023
Where: National Center for Contemporary Arts, 47 Nezavisimosti Avenue, Minsk

International Sollertinsky Music Festival 

The Sollertinsky Music Festival features both masterpieces of world classics and national treasure pieces: ancient melodies and works by authors of the 16th - 20th centuries. It will open on 2 December with a concert of chamber music: pieces by Paganini, Mozart, Kreisler, Boccherini, Haydn and Shostakovich will be performed by winners of international competitions Ilya Kozlov, Pavel Tovpich, Natalia Neskoromnaya. The winter evenings will continue on 9 December with a concert of vocal music: the winner of the sixth edition of the International Muslim Magomayev Vocal Competition Dzambolat Dulaev will perform famous opera pieces. The closing concert of the festival on 16 December will feature the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Belarus under the baton of Alexander Anisimov.

When: 2 - 16 December
Where: Vitebsk Regional Philharmonic, 69 Lenin Street, Vitebsk

Winter holidays in Belovezhskaya Pushcha

The famous relict forest of Europe – the Belovezhskaya Pushcha national park - hosts guests all year round. But in winter, this place becomes especially attractive! In addition to admiring the unique beauty of snow-covered nature and getting acquainted with the wildlife of the forest, people rush here to spend an amazing time in the Belarusian Father Frost’s estate, the most fairytale residence of the country.

The holiday season will begin on 3 December with the traditional and popular  event - the welcome ceremony for Snow Maiden. In the fairytale estate, she will appear together with Mother Winter and her daughters - Vyuga, Stuzha and Metelitsa. On this day, guests will become participants in two exciting festivals at once. "Lights of Winter" will bring together vocal performers and amateur groups that will perform non-stop in the open-air. The festival "Kind Wizards" will feature fairytale characters. The holiday will traditionally culminate in the ceremony of lighting the lights on the Belovezhskaya Christmas tree.

With the beginning of winter, the number of guests in Belovezhskaya Pushcha increases significantly. Up to 6,000 people come to visit the Father Frost per day. To learn more about this hectic time, please see our new report from the forest. By the way, Snow Maiden and Mother Winter with their daughters will stay in the Father Frost’s estate until the end of Maslenitsa (26 February 2023).

When: from 3 December
Where: Kamenyuki village, Kamenets District, Brest Oblast, Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park, Father Frost’s estate

Minsk International Christmas Opera Forum

The Bolshoi Theater of Belarus is getting ready to host the 12th edition of the Minsk International Christmas Opera Forum that will certainly be remembered for spectacular and star-studded performances. The forum will open with Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin opera directed by People’s Artist of Russia Dmitry Bertman and staged by the Moscow Musical Theater Helikon-Opera. This opera is a reproduction of Stanislavsky’s legendary performance staged in 1922. The audience will see fledgling artists and internationally acclaimed performers Yelizaveta Kulagina, Maxim Perebeinos, Valentina Gofer, Igor Morozov, Inna Zvenyatskaya, Alexei Dedov, Honored Artists of Russia Larisa Kostyuk, Mikhail Guzhov and Dmitry Ponomarev, as well as Mikhail Laverov and Dmitry Korotkov.

14 December - Giacomo Puccini's Turandot conducted by Eyyub Guliyev (Azerbaijan) and starring Ivan Gyngazov (Moscow Musical Theater Helikon-Opera) as Calaf.
15 December - “Bolshoi Theater: Moscow - Minsk. Young Voices” program featuring soloists of Russia’s Bolshoi Theater Anna Shapovalova and Konstantin Artemiev, artists of Russia’s Bolshoi Theater Young Artists Opera Program Lilit Davtyan, Maxim Lisiin, Jasur Khaydarov.
16 December - L'elisir D'amore opera starring soloist of the Mariinsky Theatre Maharram Huseynov of Azerbaijan as Dulcamara.
17 December - Rossini’s La Scala di Seta by the Astana Opera conducted by Abzal Mukhitdinov.
18 December - Gala concert of world opera stars. The star-studded concert will feature Maharram Huseynov (Azerbaijan), Tigran Ohanyan (Armenia), Goderdzi Janelidze (Georgia), Saltanat Akhmetova (Kazakhstan), Kristian Benedikt (Lithuania), Ivan Gyngazov, Polina Shamaeva (Russia), Ramiz Usmanov (Uzbekistan).

When: 13-18 December
Where: Bolshoi Theater of Belarus, 1 Paris Commune Square, Minsk
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New Year Lighting Ceremonies and Christmas Markets in Belarus

The beginning of winter sets in motion New Year countdown activities. Shop windows and halls, restaurants and cafes usher in the festive season. New Year lights switch-on events begin in the country in mid-December. Around the same time Christmas fairs open luring visitors with the smell of warming beverages, delicious food of the national cuisine and dishes from around the world, as well as a variety of souvenirs. In December, Father Frost’s winter residences open in national parks and the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve, in open-air museums and large agricultural tourism estates.

In Minsk, the New Year lights switch-on ceremony will take place on 15 December. Lights will be lit on 26 New Year trees throughout the capital city. The concept of New Year decorations for Minsk provides for some unusual design ideas for public spaces and New Year trees. There will be great thematic locations that will certainly be appreciated by photography enthusiasts, and some big surprise is coming for local residents and tourists.

• The country's main New Year tree on Oktyabrskaya Square will be 30 meters high. It will be decorated by 6,000 items of various colors and covered with a pixel grid broadcasting New Year’s pictures. Surrounded by a light fountain made of arches, it will shine in the center of a fabulous castle town with favorite New Year characters.
• The New Year tree on Nezavisimosti Square promises to be the most colorful and cute. It will be decorated with large handmade rabbits, the symbol of the coming year. The square will be framed by multi-colored artificial New Year trees with large elegant baubles and 4-meter luminous numbers ‘2023’.
• The installation “Steam Locomotive and New Year Tree” will be mounted near the Belarusian State Circus. Sparkling with thousands of lights, it is expected to be a huge draw for both children and adults.
• An unusual photo zone will be installed near the City Hall. The photo zone will feature Father Frost and Snow Maiden, as well as a mysterious mirror - a reference to Alice Through The Looking Glass.
• A castle town will open near the Palace of  Sports. People will flock here to visit a fair and entertainments and to see a lilac-silver New Year tree.
• The spiral New Year tree that was featured in the top 10 New Year trees in Europe in 2019, has been traveling around Minsk for several seasons and this time it will move to the Pavlov Park…

The city’s Christmas tree in Brest will be lit up in the evening of 16 December. A theatrical and musical show called Brest Stylish Christmas Tree promises stunning performance from the city’s creative groups, a fire show, and a meeting with Christmas characters, Father Frost and Snow Maiden. A fur show, the first one in Brest, with be a draw of the program. A disco will warp up the festival.

The city’s Christmas tree and illumination in Grodno’s Sovetskaya Street will be switched on in the evening of 16 December during a traditional parade of Fathers Frost. Another interesting event to attend will be a display of creative Christmas trees in Gilibert Park.

The city’s Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Victory Square in Vitebsk and the switching of street lights will take place in the evening of 23 December.

New Year's Journey in Belarusian Circus

Belarusian Circus is set to present a new program ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays. The main characters of the program will take the circus audience on a New Year’s Journey to the enigmatic North to meet wise shamans and mysterious builders of the airship, fight with cunning and treacherous robbers, meet the Northern Father Frost and even see the real inhabitants of permafrost - giant mammoths! The audience will be treated to a true winter fairy tale, filled with festive mood, thrilling adventures and breathtaking performance from Belarusian artists. The program includes gymnasts on flying masts and air trapeze, jugglers, as well as trained ponies and snow-white tigers.

When: 17 December 2022 – 15 January 2023
Where: Belarusian State Circus, 32 Nezavisimosti Avenue, Minsk

The Nutcracker premiere at the Brest Puppet Theater

This Christmas fairy tale is shown in many theaters around the world. Brest will also have its version of Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann's fairy tale The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. The play produced by director Denis Kazachuk and artist Irina Titovets will tell the audience about miracles, faith and persistence in beliefs. “The play will feature live acting and puppetry. We will travel from reality to a puppet world, a dream, a fairy tale,” the director said.

When: 17 December
Where: Brest Puppet Theater, 56 Lenin Street, Brest

New Year's circus show Iceberg at Chizhovka Arena

The New Year's circus show Iceberg will feature both circus and ice arenas. The audience will enjoy the performance of circus artists and figure skaters, freestylers on motorcycles, an extreme “wheel of courage”, trained dogs on a skateboard, clowns - winners of the famous Monte Carlo Festival, a 29-time Guinness Book of Records strongman, and tightrope walkers - representatives of the oldest circus dynasty. The audience will also meet with the main New Year's characters – Father Frost and Snow Maiden.

When: 23-25 December
Where: Chizhovka Arena, 19 Tashkentskaya Street, Minsk

Zapashny Brothers circus show “If I Were a Tsarina” in Minsk

In the run-up to the Christmas and New Year’s holidays the Production Center of the Zapashny Brothers will bring to the Minsk Arena the show of the Great State Circus on the Vernadsky Avenue “If I were a Tsarina” based on the tale of the great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin's “Tale of Tsar Saltan”. The show will offer the audience a stunning story of good and evil, treachery and loyalty, happiness and love. This spectacular combination of literary classics, circus and theater arts will take place at Belarus’ largest venue. The highlight of the Zapashny show will be the unusual lighting effects, exclusive costumes, spectacular performances of gymnasts and acrobats, as well as their trained assistants - dogs and bears. The audience will be entertained by funny clowns.

When: 24-25 December
Where: Minsk-Arena, 111 Pobeditelei Avenue

The Story of Kai and Gerda (The Snow Queen) at the Bolshoi Theater of Belarus

The premiere of Sergei Banevich's opera The Story of Kai and Gerda directed by Anna Motornaya will become another present for the audience to mark the 90th season of the Bolshoi Theater of Belarus. The story known to many generations of children around the world about insidiousness and cruelty of the Snow Queen and the miraculous and rescuing love of Kai and Gerda will be embodied on the stage of the main theater in a fabulous opera for viewers of all ages. By the way, a special prize will be drawn among those who take part in a family contest for the best New Year's toy through 20 December and present their creation dedicated to the new production.

When: 24 and 27 December 2022; 3, 4, 28, 29 January 2023
Where: Bolshoi Theater of Belarus, 1 Parizhskaya Kommuna Square, Minsk

Christmas show for children: '’Constellation of the bison, or how to save the New Year'

The Our Children charity event will culminate in the national Christmas show for children in the Palace of the Republic. This time the young audience will see a story about the young Rada and Ales who come with their parents to a village house near the Father Frost’s residence in Belovezhskaya Pushcha.  There, they learned the legend of the Starry Bison and the star of wishes that fulfill all children's dreams on New Year's Eve. However, something happens in the Constellation of the Bison – and all its stars go out, so Father Frost sends Rada and Ales to help the Starry Bison. The children will have to make a journey in search of the mysterious Thief of New Year's Stars, during which they will visit the stars of New Year's sweets, entertainment, traditions and gifts and meet their keepers.

When: 24 December 2022 – 5 January 2023
Where: Palace of the Republic, 1 Oktyabrskaya Square, Minsk

New Year holidays in Minsk

From 25 December to 7 January - from Catholic Christmas to Orthodox Christmas – the city will live in a busy rhythm of celebrations, surprises and friendly meetings. On New Year's Eve, festivities will unfold across 22 venues in different parts of the city.

The main venues in Minsk are the Palace of Sports, the Town Hall on Svobody Square and the Rakov suburb.

The area near the Palace of Sports, where the atmosphere of old-time Minsk will be recreated:

• 25 December - 7 January, every hour from 14:00 - interactive performances with Father Frost and Snow Maiden;
• 25 December - 7 January, 19:00-19:45 − A Tale In The Moment interactive theatrical show;
• 25 December, 19:30-22:00 − Shchodry Vechar entertainment program with traditional and modern Christmas songs and dances, pop music hits;
• 1 January, 00:30-4:00 − New Year for All dance show with DJs and pop singers;
• 7 January, 19:30-22:00 − Merry Christmas and Happy New Year family concert.

Upper Town and Svobody Square

The keeper of New Year’s secrets of the Town Hall will tell visitors about old traditions of celebrating New Year. One of them was a New Year’s ball. Thus, half-hour interactive performances New Year’s Wishes Ball will be staged here on 25 December - 2 January at 17:00 and 20:00.

Venue on 25 Rakovskaya Street

On 20 December - 8 January, this place will host a New Year’s fair that will also offer an entertainment program with fairy-tale characters, contests, karaoke, a lottery, and New Year’s films. Concerts will be held every day at 18:00-19:00.

The largest Christmas markets in Minsk will open on 17 December. The biggest one of them, the fair near the Palace of Sports, will be running through 15 January. The fair on Oktyabrskaya Square will stay open until 7 January. On New Year’s Eve, the fair will be working till 4 am. The fair in the Upper Town will be on from 25 December to 7 January. Festive malls will appear in every district of the capital city.

New Year in Philharmonic concert

The Belarusian State Philharmonic continues a good tradition to gather connoisseurs of eternal music for a New Year's Eve concert. The country’s main orchestra - the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Republic of Belarus - under the baton of Aleksandr Anisimov will perform favorite classical pieces and new compositions. The program will include the performance of soloists of the Belarusian State Philharmonic, the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater of the Republic of Belarus, the Belarusian State Academy of Music, Belarusian champions in sport dancing and many more.

When: 18:00, 31 December
Where: The Belarusian State Philharmonic, 50 Nezavisimosti Avenue

Concert featuring New Year’s Eve favorite songs

The Belarusian State Academic Musical Theater invites you to see off the outgoing year 2022 with beautiful compositions. The program includes beloved tunes by Mikael Tariverdiev from the Irony of Fate film, the upbeat songs by Yevgeny Krylatov from the Winter in Prostokvashino cartoon and several dozen more New Year's masterpieces performed by soloists, the ballet and the Musical Theater Symphony Orchestra.

When: 14:00 and 18:00, 31 December
Where: The Belarusian State Academic Musical Theater, 44 Myasnikova Street, Minsk

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