Press releases

Belarus Events Calendar: JULY 2025

Premiere of Black Castle movie based on Vladimir Korotkevich’s novel

The Black Castle is a modern adaptation of Vladimir Korotkevich's historical detective novel ‘The Black Castle of Olshany’. Forty years have passed since its first screen adaptation: a film of the same name by director Mikhail Ptashuk was premiered in 1984. This time, screenwriter Gleb Shprigov and director Kirill Kuzin took on the task of reinterpreting the novel. Even before the official premiere in Minsk, The Black Castle won the Special Jury Prize of the Feature Film Competition and the Special Prize “Cinema without Borders” of the CIS Executive Committee at the Minsk International Film Festival Listapad 2024. According to the plot of the historical drama, young professor Anton Kosmich (Evgeny Shvarts) finds himself in trouble after an ancient gospel belonging to the Olshany family finds its way into his antique store. To save himself and unravel the secrets of the past, he goes to Olshany... The screen adaptation of one of the most famous works of Belarusian literature was attended by Anastasia Krasovskaya, Evgeny Stychkin, Evgeny Shvarts and Vitaly Kishchenko.

When: 12 December 2024 - 2 December 2025
Where: cinemas in Belarusian cities

Exhibition project to celebrate Victory Day in the National Library of Belarus

The exhibition project dedicated to the 80^th anniversary of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War displays exhibits from 14 museums of the country. It presents the history in reverse chronological order: from the Victory Parade to the beginning of the war. The exhibition presents items of trench art, personal belongings, homemade weapons of partisans, effects of prisoners of concentration camps, homemade books and diaries, medals, archive documents, articles and essays about the exploits on the battlefields. The most striking exhibits include the original entrance ticket to the 1945 Victory Parade, photographs of soldiers near the Reichstag and the Brandenburg Gate...

When: 27 February - 21 September
Where: National Library of Belarus, 116 Nezavisimosti Avenue, Minsk.

Exhibition about space at National Center for Contemporary Art

The exhibition dedicated to the International Cosmonautics Day and the space flight of Marina Vasilevskaya (the first one in the history of the sovereign Belarus) is a continuation of the international project “100 Smiles of Gagarin. A Smile for the World” created for the 90th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin. The exposition presents several hundred photographs from 30 countries and works by Belarusian artists themed around space. Among the authors are Galina Vasilieva, Aleksandr Zabavchik, Sergei Krishtapovich, Anatoly Kuznetsov, Leonid Khobotov...

When: 12 April - 21 September
Where: National Center for Contemporary Art, 3 Nekrasova Street, Minsk.

Exhibition celebrating People's Artist of Belarus and USSR Stefaniya Stanyuta

The exhibition dedicated to the 120th anniversary of the People's Artist of Belarus and the USSR Stefaniya Stanyuta explores her life and artistic career. The exhibition features photos, texts of roles, manuscripts, drawings, correspondence with the family and friends, critics' and admirers' reviews, documents. Visitors to the museum can see photos of the outstanding artist with her son Aleksandr, a writer, who dedicated a book to her, the documents related to the Second Belarusian Drama Theater in Vitebsk where many Belarusian artists started their careers after training with the great masters in Moscow in the 1920s. Hsving completed the training in the studio of the Moscow Art Theater in 1931, Stefaniya Stanyuta joined the First Drama Theater (now – Kupalovsky theater) where she served for 70 years, starring in about 200 roles and becoming a true legend!

When: from 13 May 2025
Where: Belarusian State Archives Museum of Literature and Art, 4 Cyril and Methodius Street, Minsk

Summer music and tourism season in Minsk

The summer music and tourism season kicked off on 24 May spanning the Upper Town, Trinity Suburb and Rakov Suburb, the historical center of Minsk, and will last until September. The events of the coming months will be build around the theme “We are united by the blessed memory” to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory. The much-loved Classics at the Town Hall project will feature the pieces by the great composers who have earned a place in the musical culture Hall of Fame. The festival of Chinese culture Tea for Harmony (31 May) will wrap up the May program. 7 June will see the finale of the musical project Childhood Dreams. A concert accompanied by the orchestra of the Armed Forces of Belarus and a performance “We will prevail whatever it takes” in Rakov courtyard will be held on 21 June.

When: 24 May - 13 September
Where: historical downtown of Minsk, Town Hall

ARS MAGNA ORGANI 2025 festival

The ARS MAGNA ORGANI 2025 festival [The Great Art of Organ] is held for the fifth time. The new season will feature 68 concerts to be performed on five historical organs of Belarus, one modern and one electric organ. The first concert and the grand opening took place in the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Pinsk, the place of celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the Pinsk Diocese. Here you can hear the second most historically significant organ in Belarus that has been recently renovated. Every week for the next three months the best musicians from Belarus, Russia, and Hungary will perform concerts in Catholic churches of Brest Oblast and Grodno Oblast.

When: 25 May - 28 September
Where: Pinsk, Medvedichi, Ruzhany, Logishin, Ivanovo, Novogrudok, Ivye

Countess Mariza premiere in Belarusian State Academic Musical Theater

Love intrigue, vivid characters, subtle humor and intricate plot - Countess Mariza is considered one of the best works of Hungarian composer Imre Kalman. The operetta, which was created in 1924 and had its premiere on the stage of the Viennese theater An der Wien, has crossed the century mark. According to the director - People's Artist of Russia Yuri Laptev, the creative team of the Musical Theater in Minsk worked with special care on the new interpretation of the operetta. “Our main task was to be worthy of Imre Kalman. This performance is a demanding one, because it is an extremely popular and long-standing production. Working on this play were outstanding performers, directors and famous theaters.” The director emphasized that the team working on the operetta wanted to convey the unique atmosphere of an era when human relation standards were different.

When: 20 June, 20 July
Where: Belarusian State Academic Musical Theater, 44 Myasnikova Street, Minsk

Belarusian circus on regional tour

The Belarusian Circus kicked-started the summer season with the new program "BRAVO, Circus!" in Grodno. It will travel around the cities of the western regions of the country. The show will feature equilibrists, acrobats on a trampoline, a strongman who can lift weights with his teeth and bend nails, a gymnast with hula hoops and, of course, clowns!

Where, when:
Brest: 21 June – 20 July
Pinsk: 26 July –10 August
Baranovichi: 16 – 24 August
Lida: 30 August –7 September

Cultural and tourist project in Lida

Every weekend Lida hosts the Castle Road cultural and tourist project. The venue is the pedestrian street Zamkovaya and the courtyard of Lida Castle in Lida.  Every weekend of the summer season 2025 the town will hold festivals, concerts, exhibitions, craft fairs, children's programs. The cultural and tourist project kicked off with a large-scale festival of fire and light in early June. A lot of interesting things are ahead!

When: Every Saturday and Sunday from 10.00 to 19.00
Where: Lida Castle, 1 Zamkovaya Street, Lida
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Music and Stars project in Minsk: Neoclassical music concert in Planetarium

Romantic music performed by famous Belarusian pianist and composer Filip Shpartov in the cosmic setting will give listeners unforgettable impressions. Under the dome of the Minsk Planetarium the pianist will play the pieces by the greatest composers of the 20th and 21st centuries – Philip Glass, who is called the “voice of the planet Earth”, Hans Zimmer, Ludovico Einaudi, and others.

When: 2 July, 19.00
Where: Minsk Planetarium, 2 Frunze St., Minsk

July 3 – Independence Day of the Republic of Belarus (Republic Day)

In 2025, Belarus celebrates a landmark date – the 80th anniversary of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War. In the run-up to the Victory Day in April of this year, by the decree of the head of state, six more cities of Kobrin, Rechitsa, Slonim, Senno, Slavgorod and Smolevichi were awarded the pennant “For valor and perseverance during the Great Patriotic War”. The main state holiday - Independence Day - was established in honor of the liberation of the capital city on 3 July 1944 from the Nazi invaders during the largest strategic offensive operation Bagration. A little more than a month later, the entire territory of the republic was cleared of the enemy…

Minsk is gearing up to celebrate Independence Day on a grand scale: more than 150 events are planned at various venues. The program  started on 22 June with the cultural and patriotic campaign Calendar of Memory. Book of Memory.

Independence Day in Minsk 2025 program:

12.00–23.00 – Road of Our Independence concert;
venue at the Palace of Sports; 
festive concert featuring Belarusian artists; Bolshoi Theater of Belarus
21.00–23.00 – gala concert at the Minsk Hero City monument and Let’s Sing the Anthem Together event

Independence Day fireworks at 23.00
six locations: Victory Park, Chizhovka Arena, Pavlov Park, Hugo Chavez Park, embankment in Drozdy Park and the National Library of Belarus.

When: 3 July
Where: Minsk Hero City monument, Minsk; cities of the country, museums, tourist complexes

Budslau Festival 2025

Every year on 2 July, Belarusian Catholics celebrate a holiday in honor of the Icon of the Mother of God of Budslau, one of the most revered icons of the Mother of God. It is famous for its many miracles and healings. To celebrate the icon the pilgrimage tour and solemn service in the ancient Church of the Ascension of the Blessed Virgin Mary bring together thousands of parishioners from different parts of Belarus and other countries. It is expected that the first day of the Budslau Fest 2025 will feature a welcome ceremony for pilgrims, a holy mass, Akathist to the Theotokos Greek Catholic Service, the Procession of the Cross, a youth program, a procession with a copy of the Budslau Icon of the Mother of God. At midnight, guests of the festival will attend a mass to be led by Metropolitan of Minsk-Mogilev Archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the Republic of Belarus Iosif Stanevsky.
 
When: 5-6 July
Where: Church of the Ascension of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Budslauv, Myadel District, Minsk Oblast
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Alexandria Gathers Friends 2025

Culture and rich folk traditions of Belarusians will once again become the leitmotif of the national holiday Kupala Night (Alexandria Gathers Friends), which will unfold on the 10-hectare site and gather thousands of guests. By the way, in 2024 the festival set an attendance record of more than 96,000 people! This year’s themes are the 80th anniversary of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War, the unity of the peoples of Belarus and Russia, traditional family and universal values.

The festival will kick off at 11.00, and the official opening is scheduled for 13.00. Next on the program is a big concert "Union State stars visiting Alexandria" featuring Belarusian and Russian performers. By tradition, Kulagin Mogilev Aero Club will put up a spectacular show in the sky that will last from 16.30 to 17.00.

The festival will culminate with a large-scale evening concert titled as Alexandria Cinema House featuring favorite tunes from Soviet movies in modern interpretation. The concert will wrap up with a colorful display of fireworks and a large Kupala Night bonfire on the banks of the Dnieper River.

When: 5-6 July
Where: Alexandria, Shklov District, Mogilev Oblast
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Tchaikovsky PAS: Gala Concert of Ballet of Belarus’ Bolshoi Theater 

The Bolshoi Theater of Belarus will conclude the 92nd season with a gala concert of its ballet troupe accompanied by an orchestra under the baton of People's Artist of Russia’s Republic of Bashkortostan Artem Makarov. The playbill features the Evening Overture, scenes from Anna Karenina, The Sleeping Beauty, The Swan Lake, Three Cards, Reflection, Gula, Classical Pas de Deux, Anticipating the Spring, Final Curtsy. Among the performers are People's Artists of Belarus Irina Yeromkina and Anton Kravchenko, Honored Artists of Belarus Lyudmila Khitrova and Marina Vezhnovets, holder of the Medal of Francysk Skaryna Aleksandra Chizhik, laureates of international competitions Anastasia Yarmosh, Marita Shibanova, Dmitry Uksusnikov, as well as ballet dancers and students of the Vezhnovets Ballet School.

When: 6 July
Where: Bolshoi Theater of Belarus, 1 Parizhskoy Kommuny Square, Minsk

Kupala Day in Belovezhskaya Pushcha

The Evening of Ivan Kupala folk festival will unfold in the open-air archaeological museum in the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park. Guests will be able to experience a mystical atmosphere of one of the most popular folk holidays in Belarus - Kupala Night - in the protected forest. The festival program includes weaving wreaths and placing them on water, master classes on making motanka dolls, singing folk songs around a campfire, round dances, themed games and competitions. Participants will be able to taste local treats, including Belarusian pancakes with herbal tea.

When: 6 July, 18:00
Where: Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park, Kamenets District, Brest Oblast
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International Arts Festival Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk

The country’s largest cultural event – Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk – is a mixture of music, theater and youth programs. The main draws of the festival are junior and adult song contests. For the first time in the festival’s history, young contestants accompanied by an orchestra will perform soundtracks to cartoons as well as songs in one of Slavic languages, in addition to world hits. Belarus will be represented by 19-year-old student of the Minsk State College of Arts Valeria Bernatovich at the adult song contest and by 12-year-old singer from Minsk Amalia Sukhan at the junior song contest. The main venue of the festival – the Summer Amphitheater – will host the grand opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the concerts This is our Victory!, Golden Hit, Humor Cup, SHANSON TV - All Stars.

The Vitebsk Regional Philharmonic Hall will host the Master and Mandolin concert, a performance by the Georgian group BravoMetehi, a performance based on Sholem Aleichem's novel Wandering Stars, a solo concert Strong Woman by Eteri Beriashvili, a concert by the Alania dance ensemble from Moscow.

The Vitebsk Central Sports Complex that can accommodate 6,000 spectators will be used as a festival venue for the first time. This facility will host a solo concert by Stas Mikhailov, an open-air ‘bachelorette party’, and concerts featuring pop starts and TikTok personalities.

When: 9–14 July
Where: Summer Amphitheater (13a Frunze Avenue), Vitebsk Central Sports Complex, theater and concert venues, Vitebsk streets
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Archaeological Safari Festival in Pripyatsky National Park

The program of the Archaeological Safari Festival in the Pripyatsky National Park features a great number of activities that will certainly delight curious minds: a presentation of a collection of unique historical artifacts discovered in protected areas, the Archaeological Cocktail lecture about the life and rituals of ancient Poleshuks, an exhibition of artifacts unearthed in Polesie, a tour of the Lost Settlement built in prehistoric times, as well as In Search of Treasures quest, the Ancient Artisan master class, as well as a barbecue and evening gatherings by a campfire.

When: 12-13 July
Where: Pripyatsky National Park
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Legendary Epochs historical reenactment festival

The fifth edition of the Legendary Epochs historical reenactment festival will be dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War. The location will remain the same - the field near the old mill in Zelva. Visitors will see knightly battles and spectacular fights of the Scottish infantry, reenactment scenes from the Patriotic War of 1812 and the First World War. A large-scale reenactment of the Great Patriotic War, involving over 200 participants from Belarus and Russia, will be the highlight of the festival. Outside the main venue, spectators will study everyday life of field camps and take part in master classes.

When: 12-13 July
Where: Zelva urban settlement, Grodno Oblast

Boris Eifman Ballet Theater Tour in Minsk

The famous Soviet and Russian choreographer, ballet master, People's Artist of Russia Boris Eifman is a founder of a new type of theater - Russian psychological ballet theater that seeks to expose the inner world of a person through the language of choreography. As part of the summer tour in Minsk, the Boris Eifman Ballet Theater from St. Petersburg will present two performances - Crime and Punishment and Anna Karenina based on Russian classics of the 19th century. According to the choreographer, by turning to literary masterpieces, he seeks to enrich the production with philosophical and intellectual ideas that require deep engagement to be understood. These ideas are not immediately obvious but emerge from a thoughtful exploration.

When:
15 and 16 July - Crime and Punishment ballet
18 and 19 July - Anna Karenina ballet
Where: Bolshoi Theater of Belarus, 1 Parizhskoy Kommuny Square, Minsk

Cherry Festival in Glubokoye

The ancient city in the very center of the Belarusian Poozerie, the “cherry capital of Belarus” - Glubokoye - invites everyone to a traditional festival it hosts every July. In more than a decade, this delicious festival has become a cultural and gastronomic brand of Vitebsk Oblast. Cherry blossom trees spring to life all over the region every summer. This comes thanks to the local breeder Boleslav Lapyr, who in the second half of the 20th century selected new varieties of cherries that were more resistant to cold and shared them with the inhabitants of the area. Visitors will be able to join a theatrical procession and plenty of “cherry” entertainment (song and dance, photo and drawing, hairstyle competitions). They will also choose a “cherry princess” and, of course, taste berries at the cherry fair.

When: 18-19 July
Where: Glubokoye, Vitebsk Oblast

Our Grunwald 2025 reenactment festival

The country’s largest reenactment festival will celebrate the 615th anniversary of the legendary Battle of Grunwald. The festival recreates the legendary battle with the Teutonic Order, the victory over which made the Grand Duchy of Lithuania one of the most powerful and influential states of medieval Europe. The event will feature knight tournaments, bugurts, archery and halberd tournaments, open-air After the Battle Feast, dance and theater performances, a medieval music concert, as well as medieval entertainment, a fair and arts and crafts master classes…

When: 19-20 July
When: Dudutki museum complex, Pukhovichi District, Minsk Oblast

Vulitsa Ezha: Summer Season 2025 in Minsk

Vulitsa Ezha 2025 is the 28th summer festival held over the past ten years. This year it will present three festivals. The program of the festival 2025 offers a diverse array of entertainment: a photo exhibition with a historical retrospective, the Ezha Awards ceremony, an open-air cinema, a lecture hall, a culinary school featuring delicious and useful master classes from top chefs and celebrity guests, craft markets, a merch shop festival featuring branded clothes. The center of attraction will be a food court with an alley of food trucks offering menus of more than 40 restaurants, as well as bar locations ARARAT, Lillet, HavanaClub and ReadytoDrink with themed photo zones, workshops and summer drinks.

When: 19-20 June, 30-31 August
Where: Central Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 2в Surganova Street, Minsk

14th Bard Music & Fishing Festival

This year the Bard Music & Fishing Festival will bring together more than 500 participants - singers, musicians, chefs, artisans, fishermen, bathers, artists, athletes, as well as thousands of outdoor enthusiasts. The official opening ceremony will be preceded by the Kirmash Smaku food festival, the qualifying round of the Our Circle bard music contest, the Open Air Cinema project, a casting for the Queen of Bard Fishing competition. The first day will culminate in Yuri Vizbor memorial concert and author programs presented by the quartet Chance, Aleksei Nezhevets-Privalov, the Vo duet featuring Olga Kuznetsova and Vladimir Polyakov, MOJO BLUES band.

The second day will feature fishing competitions, a beach volleyball tournament, a competition in cooking fish soup and fish dishes, the finals of the Queen of Bard Fishing competition. The evening program will comprise the children’s musical Town Musicians of Bremen, Igor Perelygin’s concert, an awards ceremony of the Our Circle project winners, author programs from Olga Kuznetsova, Aleksei Vitakov and Vladimir Polyakov, Nikolai Grinko’s GreenBand.

When: 25-27 July
Where: Chigirinka Water Reservoir, village of Chechevichi, Bykhov District, Mogilev Oblast

VIVA BRASLAV 2025

One of the largest open air festivals in Belarus Viva Braslav invites you to visit Braslav lands, which are called “a blue necklace” of the country due to its amazing beauty. This year the festival will see some changes: the total area will expand, the campsites will move to a new location, and there will be more guitar music in the program. The festival showcases a diverse range of musical genres and artists, from new wave to rock and pop: Three Days of Rain, Bravo, MONA, Lusia Chebotina and Nyusha, 10AGE, Eldzhey... The full list of performers is kept secret. The previous edition of the summer music festival attracted about 35,000 attendees!

When: 25-27 July
Where: The central beach, Braslav, Vitebsk Oblast

Back to Theatrical Origins: Plays in Nesvizh Castle

Summer theatrical nights at the walls of the ancient Radziwill residence will bring together connoisseurs of Melpomene and national cultural heritage. The program will feature two plays – The Constant Wife and Let’s Drink to Love! – performed by Belarus’ Honored Amateur Band – Urszula Radziwill Theater. The first night will see the comedy of the classic of the 20th century Somerset Maugham. On the second night the audience will enjoy the realities of a modern family. Both plays reveal the themes relevant for each person today – self-determination, the search for happiness primarily within oneself, building relationships with others, love and loyalty.

When: 25-26 July, 20.00
Where: Nesvizh Castle, 2 Zamkovaya Street, Nesvizh