Press releases
Belarus Events Calendar: JANUARY 2025
‘Echo of Modernism. From Monet to Kandinsky’ at National Center for Contemporary Arts
Modernism will echo in the National Center for Contemporary Arts through the works of Belarusian authors. The project was inspired by the landmark processes in European art of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including the new view of the Impressionists on the landscape, the inner world of a person and his fears, the rethinking of the canons of bodily beauty, the avant-garde ideas of Gris, Klee and Kandinsky. Visitors will be taken on an immersive journey into the world of art of the late 19th – early 20th centuries. They will be offered a thematic quest around the exhibition, they will be able to see installations, a special thematic photo zone and information stands with AR technology.
When: 25 October 2024 – 7 February 2025
Where: National Center for Contemporary Arts, 47 Nezavisimosti Avenue, Minsk
Exhibition of fans in Mikhail Savitsky Art Gallery
A collection of 26 fans from the mid-18th and early 20th centuries from Mir Castle is on display in the former city manor that used to host social evenings and receptions in the past. The oldest item on view is a French fan of the 1760s, hand painted, carved and gilded. Visitors to the exhibition will be able to trace the history of this elegant ladies' accessory, the fashion trends of the 19th century which are reflected in the variety of décor, design, materials and types of fans. The exposition also tells about its main functions: in addition to its direct function the fan also showed the high status of its owner, emphasizing the high position in society and wealth.
When: 13 November 2024 –26 January 2025
Where: Mikhail Savitsky Art Gallery, 15 Svobody Square, Minsk
Christmas fairs, excursions, festivals
Christmas Fair at the Palace of Sports in Minsk
Minsk residents can admire the lights of one of the best decorated Christmas trees in Minsk and treat themselves to some delicious food at the palace of Sports. The New Year's menu includes potatoes in different variations, kebab, traditional borscht, suluguni in pita bread, Belarusian burgers... Hot chocolate, aromatic coffee or sea buckthorn tea with buns will warm you up these winter days.
When: 14 December 2024 - 14 January 2025
Where: Palace of Sports, Minsk
11 Days of Winter: Holiday season in Pesochnitsa
The popular street food platform Pesochnitsa [Sandbox] will be running for 11 days this winter to give guests a holiday cheer. This year it will feature puppet theater performances and special New Year's menu. There will be a location with samovars, Good Place shooting gallery and WishYou.by photo booth. While children will be entertained by animators and puppet theater, adults will be able to enjoy live music and workshop in making Christmas decorations.
When: 19 - 29 December (weekdays from 16.00 to 22.00; weekends from 13.00 to 22.00)
Where: Pesochnitsa street food platform, 45 Kuibysheva Street, Minsk
belbet winter fair near National Library of Belarus
The winter fair, beloved by Minsk citizens and guests of the city, which was abuzz near the Bolshoi Theater last year, moved to a new location near the National Library. It will feature a Christmas market and a Gifts Factory. The activities on offer will include a Venetian carousel, a steam train for children, a Christmas post office where you can send greeting cards across the country, a craft workshop, a food court (offering a variety of dishes from Japanese and Chinese to Spanish and Mexican cuisine), a special area with Ded Moroz (Father Frost) and a Christmas tree bazaar where you can buy trees, Christmas tree branches and Christmas wreaths.
When: 20 December 2024 - 7 January 2025 (weekdays - from 15.00 to 23.00; weekends and holidays - from 13.00 to 23.00)
Where: National Library of Belarus, 116, Nezavisimosti Avenue, Minsk
Christmas Orthodox Festival in Minsk
The Orthodox festival Radost [Joy] will run family events, youth meetings, screenings of feature and documentary films, theater performances, performances of amateur groups and professional artists, and a student tournament dedicated to the 2025th anniversary of the Nativity of Christ. The youngest visitors will enjoy master classes, active games and entertainment, puppet theater performances, an interactive exposition The Road to Bethlehem, and an exhibition of works by participants of the Bethlehem Star creative competition.
When: 26 December 2024 - 6 January 2025
Where: Spiritual and educational center Kovcheg, 164, Dolginovsky trakt, Minsk
Christmas heritage of Belarus in Sula
On Christmas Eve, the history park Grand Duchy of Sula invites you to learn more about the centuries-old traditions of the Belarusians and take a fascinating excursion with fairy-tale characters. Visitors will be able to take part in such folk rituals as Christmas Kings Procession and Bake the ‘Cat’ game. The program will culminate with a dinner in the best traditions of Christmas celebrations.
When: 6 January (19.00).
Where: Sula, Stolbtsy District, Minsk Oblast
Beresteiskie Sani 2025 festival in Kobrin
Kobrin will host the fourth edition of the winter festival Beresteiskie Sani (Brest Sleigh). The festival debuted in January 2022 in Brest, and in subsequent years it traveled to Baranovichi and Pinsk. The festival is expected to retain its signature features, including music and theatrical performances to be held on Lenin Square. And the most spectacular event - the procession of Fathers Frost - will go along the central streets of the city.
When: 11 January
Where: Kobrin, Brest Oblast
Exhibitions, quests, master classes
New Year Postcard exhibition at the National History Museum of Belarus
Winter holidays used to be the time of exchanging postcards. Later they were replaced by emails and sticker packs, but for many decades, postcards carried the most heartfelt greetings and were often kept for a lifetime. The first Christmas card was created by the English artist named ‘Dobson’ in 1794. Mass production of postcards began in England in 1843, when Sir Henry Cole came up with the idea of sending postcards instead of personal visits. The exhibition in Minsk presents enlarged copies of New Year postcards dating back to the early 20th century from the collection of Vladimir Likhodedov, a researcher, laureate of the Spiritual Revival Award and author of the “In Search of the Lost” project.
When: 2 December 2024 – 3 February 2025
Where: National History Museum, 12 Marx Street, Minsk
When Christmas Trees Are Lighted exhibition in Nesvizh Castle
Nesvizh Castle hosts an exhibition of Christmas tree decorations from the private collection of Natalya Kovaleva. The exposition includes antique and vintage Christmas tree decorations made of glass, plastic, cotton wool, paper, sawdust composite, papier-mâché and cardboard... Among them are contemporary and Soviet items (1930s-1990s) created in various techniques and divided into thematic blocks. Visitors to the exhibition will be able to see Wartime Christmas Decorations and Toys Made in the GDR, Cotton New Year Decorations, Free-Blown Christmas Tree Decorations and decorations created in the Glinka technique. Other themes include Aeronautics and Space, Vegetables and Fruits, North Exploration, Circus, Happy Childhood...
When: 6 December 2024 – 9 February 2025
Where: Nesvizh Castle, Small Exhibition Hall
Master class on making New Year toys and 3D cards atVankovich House Museum
During the winter holidays, Minskers and tourists are invited to visit the Vankovich House Museum, a 19th-century estate that was frequented by representatives of the cultural intelligentsia, artists, and musicians of that era. In addition to seeing the exhibition, visitors will be able to learn more about Christmas traditions and make an original Christmas tree decoration from natural materials - pine cones, twigs, and wood cuts.
When: 12 December 2024 – 15 January 2025
Where: Vankovich House Museum, 33a Internatsionalnaya Street, Minsk
Winter Tale in the FARBA Gallery
The new exhibition project in the FARBA Gallery introduces visitors to the traditions and customs of Belarusian people. Visitors will learn about arts and crafts of our ancestors, their folklore and batleyka theater... The Winter Tale project embraces traditions and innovations: for example, the batleyka performance is projected onto the walls of the immersive hall, and artificial intelligence was used in its creation.
When: 13 December 2024 – 2 March 2025
Where: FARBA Gallery, 8 Svobody Square, Minsk
Chest of Secrets: New Year's detective quest in Minsk museum
The Belarusian State Museum of the Great Patriotic War History invites everyone to plunge into the atmosphere of holidays and historical mysteries. Young visitors will have an exciting adventure through the museum’s exposition and reveal the secret of one of the oldest employees of the museum. The Toys Keeping Memory exposition features retro Christmas tree toys and is available for guests until 12 January.
When: 3-4 January (13.00)
Where: Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War, 8 Pobediteley Ave., Minsk
Concerts, performances, shows
New Year’s Yeralash: A new show in Belarusian Circus
Belarusian Circus is presenting a new show ahead of winter vacations and the most beloved holidays of the year. The show titled as New Year's Yeralash will feature a story of the main characters hurrying to deliver long-awaited presents to all children on the planet. The circus show involves aerial gymnasts and acrobats, clowns, monkey musicians, ponies, dogs, cats, and funny geese.
When: 14 December 2024-12 January 2025
Where: Belarusian Circus, 32 Nezavisimosti Avenue, Minsk
New Year's event at Palace of Republic
The guests of the 2025 New Year’s event for children will need to find the "Formula of the New Year". According to the plot of the show, New Year's wizards use this secret formula to create fairy tales in reality, festive mood and gifts in a mysterious laboratory. Together with the main characters, Mikhas and Vasilisa, the audience will take a peek at the secret laboratory of Ded Moroz [Grandfather Frost] and Snegurochka [Snow Maiden], and then help them find the lost formula in one of the fantasy books. Artificial Intelligence, a girl named Alesya, will guide the audience and create routes to unknown worlds. The audience will participate in the performance solving the puzzles of space pirates, sorting parcels, juggling magical objects, dancing and singing together with the characters.
When: December 22, 2024 - January 4, 2025 (11.00, 15.00, 18.00)
Where: Palace of the Republic, 1 Oktyabrskaya Square, Minsk
New Year's jazz concert in Upper Town
The SONORUS Chapel conducted by Vyacheslav Larin invites you to spend a cozy winter evening and enjoy a warm holiday atmosphere accompanied by your favorite jazz songs. The chamber choir will perform your favorite Christmas songs (Silent night, Last Christmas, Jingle bells) and jazz versions of Bach's and Bizet's compositions.
When: 3 January
Where: Upper Town concert hall, 23a Svobody Square, Minsk
The Nutcracker at the Bolshoi Theater of Belarus
The Nutcracker, one of the symbols of the Christmas and New Year season, returns to the stage of the Bolshoi Theater of Belarus in December. For the first time, the fairy-tale ballet was shown in Minsk in 1982. It was produced by the creative tandem of conductor Alexander Anisimov, choreographer Valentin Elizariev and set designer Evgeny Lysik. In October 2020, Valentin Elizariev showed a new production. The choreographer admitted more than once that he was happy to work on the ballet and saw the first act in a dream. According to the artists, his choreography is virtuoso, not easy to perform, but this allows them to demonstrate technique, musicality and, of course, acting skills.
When: 5, 8, 17 January
Where: National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater of Belarus, 1 Parizhskoy Kommuny Square, Minsk
Nutcracker and Mouse King: Ilia Averbukh's ice show
Ilia Averbukh comes back to Minsk with the New Year's fairy tale: The Nutcracker and the Mouse King ice show. Ilia Averbukh breathed new life into the world-famous story of Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann. Olympic champions Alexei Yagudin, Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin will also star on the ice of the Chizhovka Arena in Minsk.
When: 11 January (11.00, 15.00).
Where: Chizhovka Arena, 19 Tashkentskaya St., Minsk
Christmas Evening musical offering at Minsk Philharmonic Society
Christmas is one of the most magical times of the year, filled with a sense of family warmth, love, and great hope for the future. The honored groups of Belarus prepared a pleasant surprise for the Orthodox believers. The Shirma Choral Chapel of Belarus, the Academic Choir of the National State Television and Radio Company of Belarus, the Camerata group, the Metropolitan Choir of the Minsk Svyato-Dukhov Cathedral, and the Classic-Avangard group will perform musical offerings in the Belarusian State Philharmonic Society.
When: 16 January
Where: Belarusian State Philharmonic Society, 50 Independence Ave., Minsk
The Night Before Christmas in Minsk Puppet Theater
The Belarusian State Puppet Theater in Minsk invites everyone to feel the magical atmosphere of Nikolai Gogol's famous story: the Night Before Christmas play premiered in 2023 (directed by Ekaterina Trofimuk, art director - Tatyana Nersisyan), but remains a favorite of the audience. The Night Before Christmas is an occasion to meet familiar characters, to see the story of true love and the eternal confrontation of good and evil.
When: 16 and 17 January
Where: Belarusian State Puppet Theater, 20 Engelsa Street, Minsk
New Year journeys, street performances, mysteries
The main venues of street festivals for Minsk citizens and city visitors will traditionally include:
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The Upper Town: New Year performances “New Year in the Land of Toys”, 25 December-2 January (17.30, 20.00)
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The area near the Palace of Sports: Fairy tale “The Wizard of the Old Town, or the Mystery of the Trinity Suburb”, 26 December-7 January (19.00);
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The Rakovsky Suburb: Festive New Year's performances for kids and adults, 26 December-2 January (from 18.00 to 20.00)
Trip to Father Frost Residence: New Year train to Belovezhskaya Pushcha
Children and adults are invited to take a trip to the winter fairy tale on Christmas and New Year's Eve 2025. The destination is the Residence of the Belarusian Father Frost in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. The distance between Minsk and Brest is over 350km. The travel time is about 10 hours. The program will include a visit to the estate of the main forest magician, the house of Snow Maiden, the Magic Mill, the Alley of Signs of the Eastern Calendar, Skarbnitsa - the Museum of Gifts of Father Frost. Visitors will have a chance to make a wish on the glade of Twelve Months or on the magic throne, taste Pushcha pancakes and herbal tea, and enjoy the nature of the national park. On the way back they will meet the railroad Father Frost.
When: 6-7 and 10-11 January 2025
Where: Minsk Passazhyrsky-Father Frost Residence in Belovezhskaya Pushcha
Christmas in National Art Museum: performances, mysteries, family shows
In the run-up to the winter holidays, the National Art Museum of Belarus invites everyone to take part in events for families: Russia-Belarus. Crossing of Destinies exhibition; On the 150th Anniversary of Leiba Alperovitch exhibition; the New Year Mystery in Art Museum project and the Christmas Trails program. The museum will host the What's the Color of Winter project, a workshop on painting Christmas masks, and the Most Interesting Things About Porcelain: Christmas Miracle project. The National Art Museum will surprise the visitors with the A Gift for Christmas performance by the Charlie Dance Theater, the Christmas Dreams concert performed by the Polyphonics choir, and the Christmas Eve concert performed by the duet of A. Pshenichny and A. Shinkevich.
When: 21 December - 18 January
Where: National Art Museum of Belarus, 20 Lenina St., Minsk
Christmas balls in Belarus
Christmas Ball in Mir Castle
The magnificent residence of the most famous magnates of the past will immerse you in the atmosphere of the 18th century. Mysterious masks and silhouettes, exquisite entertainment and live music - all of it awaits guests in the Portrait Hall. The festivity will traditionally bring together gentlemen and ladies dressed to match the society of that time. An appropriate dress code is required: formal suits for men, dress and shoes without heels for women. Instrumental music, dance master classes, ancient board games and mobile games, pleasant surprises and a buffet await participants of the ball.
When: 19:00, 11 January
Where: Mir Castle, 2 Krasnoarmeyskaya Street, the town of Mir, Grodno Oblast
Old New Year Ball at Belarus’ Bolshoi Theater
For more than 15 years the Bolshoi Theatre has been hosting connoisseurs of romantic ball aesthetics, salon atmosphere and fascinating classical music to celebrate the Old New Year’s Eve. The first guests will be welcomed at 18:00. The instrumental trio Gloria will play in the lobby of the theater. A master class on tango will begin at 19:00 as well as a New Year’s Eve party in the Chamber Hall named after L.P. Aleksandrovskaya. A Royal Ball will gather guests in the mezzanine foyer, and afterwards master classes in historical and ballroom dancing will take place. They will be accompanied by a music and dance program by the A.M.A.D.I.S. Brass soloist ensemble of the Bolshoi Orchestra. The party will culminate with the Vienna Ball: waltzes, polkas and quadrilles will be performed by the symphony orchestra under the baton of the conductor Vitaly Grishchenko. The program will conclude with “Karaoke with a star”: guests will sing together with opera stars accompanied by the Serenade string quintet. At the twelfth strike of the chimes guests will dance a “midnight quadrille” to the music from “The Bat” by Johann Strauss.
When: From 19:00 to 00:00, 13 January
Where: Bolshoi Theater of Belarus, 1 Parizhskoi Kommuny Square, Minsk
Winter masquerade ball in the Nemtsevichs Manor
The beautiful manor in the village of Skoki, which belonged to the writer, publicist, and statesman Yulian Nemtsevich in the 18th century, is still in the process of creating an exposition: nine out of eleven halls are open to visitors. But social events are organized here three times a year: Christmas (or Old New Year's Eve) gala, a May gala, and an autumn gala - in honor of the day the estate was founded. A traditional winter ball in the spirit of the late 19th - early 20th century will take place in January. The program includes dances under the direction of a professional choreographer, classical and instrumental music, parlor games, and musical card games. A total of five dance sections are planned as well as concert numbers and an entertainment program for participants.
When: 18:00, 18 January
Where: The historical and memorial museum Nemtsevichs Manor, the village of Skoki, Brest Oblast
Christmas Ball at the estate museum of Michal Kleofas Oginski
The old family residence offers a wonderful opportunity to experience the era, in which the creator of the famous polonaise “Farewell to the motherland” Mikhail Kleofas Oginsky lived and created his works. In December 2024 its halls hosted a youth ball, and during the Christmas season there will be another one: a Christmas ball. Ladies in ball gowns and gentlemen in tuxedos are welcome here on Saturday evening. By the way, in the “Northern Athens” balls were organized all the year round. They were such an important part of the gentry’s life that the rest of the leisure time was geared towards preparations for the balls. Guests of Zalesye are invited to spend an unforgettable time in the interiors of the manor where they will appreciate 19th century dances, socializing, and a festive atmosphere.
When: 18:00, 18 January
Where: Michal Kleofas Oginski Estate Museum, the agrotown of Zalesye, Smorgon District, Grodno Oblast
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