Press releases

Belarus Events Calendar: April 2015

Telecommunications, Information and Bank Technologies Expo TIBO

Slutsk belts to go on display in Minsk

Slutsk belts are a unique relic of the Belarusian people and part of the world cultural heritage. These masterpieces of weaving art were made in the 18th - 19th centuries. The most famous manufactory making these belts was in Slutsk and was owned by the Radziwill dukes. Since ancient times, elaborate kontush belts made of silk, gold and silver threads were a mandatory accessory of ceremonial costume of the nobility of Rzeczpospolita. The belts were usually worn on top of a kontush, a long robe with long and loose sleeves. The exhibition in Minsk will feature six Slutsk belts loaned from the National Museum in Warsaw which is known for its rich collections of belts. Five belts which will be on display in Minsk were made by Slutsk Manufactory in the period when it was led by Yan and Leon Madjarski (1767-1807). One belt was made after 1807.

When: 6 November 2014 – 4 April 2015
Where: National Art Museum of Belarus, Minsk
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Chocolate Museum Nicolya in Minsk

The prominent Ukrainian confectioner Nikolai Popov has made many original masterpieces, including the chocolate room in Mir Castle, miniatures of the Rumyantsevs-Paskevichs Palace in Gomel and the New Castle in Grodno. Nikolai Popov will present a new exhibition in the Belarusian capital. Visitors will be able to see over 200 exclusive sweet works such as a chocolate table with antiques, the large and small crowns of the Russian Empire, Faberge eggs, the famous picture The Chocolate Girl, the two-meter Eiffel tower that weighs 45kg and is made of 512 parts. The new exhibits include samples of Belarusian art, weapons, masks, household articles and even the popular Belarusian cuisine dish — draniki… The exhibition will be built around the world’s largest picture that depicts Belarus’ places of interest.

When: 4 December 2014 – 1 May
Where: The National History Museum, Minsk

Giant Fountains Show in Belarusian State Circus

Belarus’ biggest circus proudly presents the Japanese-Russian project Giant Fountains Show that boasts exclusive engineering and design solutions. During the show the arena turns into a water pool enclosing 120 tonnes of water and 600 fountains erupting 18 meters high. The ultra-modern show features acrobats, trapeze artists, tightrope walkers, equilibrists, illusionists and a jolly clown duo Dolly and Domino (Merited Artists of Russia Lada Sarnatskaya and Alexander Sarnatsky). The show also involves animals, brown bears, white wolves, cats, monkeys, who will show their dancing, hula-hooping, stunting and jumping skills.

When: 30 January – 3 May
Where: Belarusian State Circus, Minsk

“Mater Dei. Iconografia di un Amore” exhibition in Minsk

This unique exposition of masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance is a joint project of the National Art Museum of Belarus, the Pietro Vanucci Academy of Fine Arts of Perugia and the National Gallery of Umbria. Visitors to the exhibition will be able to see over 30 paintings and graphics dating back to the 15th-19th centuries, including 12 paintings depicting Madonna and child, one of the most popular themes since the times of the great Raphael. These masterpieces come from public and private collections of Italy’s Perugia. The exposition will also feature two works of unknown painters of the 17th century and 10 etchings of the 17th-18th centuries from the collections of the National Art Museum.

When: 13 February – 4 May
Where: National Art Museum of Belarus

Da Vinchi Inventions exhibition in Minsk

The Da Vinci Inventions exhibition brings to life the genius of Leonardo as an inventor, scientist, and engineer. The international touring exhibition was arranged in 2006 with the participation of Leonardo da Vinci Museo in Italy. Working from Leonardo’s codices, using the materials and techniques of the Renaissance epoch, modern artisans recreated 200 technical innovations of the time, including a flying machine, submarine, scuba, parachute, a bicycle... Scientists have studied about 6,000 documents, many of which contained deliberate errors, encrypted codes, and some were made in a mirror-like way. In addition to Leonardo’s inventions, visitors will see the manuscripts, his notes on anatomy and high-definition animated videos explaining his famous Last Supper, Sforza equestrian sculpture and the iconic Vitruvian Man and Mona Lisa.

When: 1 March – 31 May
Where: National Art Museum, Minsk
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Exhibition Robot Ball in Minsk

For the first time in the Belarusian capital the interactive exhibition will demonstrate the latest accomplishments of robot technologies — about 20 smart machines from Europe, South Korea, America, and Japan. The number includes an English humanoid robot Thespian, which is believed to be one of the world’s most emotional robots, the French robot NAO that can read fairy-tales, the American “helper” robot Baxter that can help assemble iPhones. The Japanese robot seal Paro, which is successfully used to combat Alzheimer’s and has been recognized as the world’s most remedial robot according to the Guinness World Book of Records. Apart from that, the international convention of robots will feature lectures and master classes by well-known robot engineers of Belarus. Young visitors will be able to use a lab where they will be able to assemble their own robots, will be able to play interactive videogames and test 3D glasses.

When: 17 March – 19 April
Where: The shopping center Skala, Minsk

BI-2 in Belarus

One of the CIS’s most successful rock music bands BI-2 is coming back to the home country, to Belarus, to present its new, ninth album #16plus, which was released in September 2014. The disc features 17 tracks, including the famous single #Hipster, which went to the top of music charts in record time and scored over one million views on the Internet. The album comes loaded with cover versions of the three songs that inspired the musicians to create these songs in their 16plus — Daite ognya by the Alliance band, Napman by the Auktyon band, and Robot by Yuri Chernavsky and Vladimir Matetsky. The concert will feature the all-time favorites Posledny geroi, Vechnaya prizrachnaya vstrechnaya, Moi rock’n’roll, Polkovniku nikto ne pishet…

When, where: 1 April – Gomel
3 April – Grodno
4 April – Minsk Arena

30 Seconds to Mars in Minsk

The American rock band 30 Seconds to Mars, who play alternative rock music, is a true phenomenon in the world of modern music. The band has beaten the world record by the number of concerts staged during the grand tour This Is War TSTM – over 311 concerts in 60 countries. As part of the current tour in support of the album Love, Lust, Faith + Dreams that was released in spring 2013 the musicians have performed over 160 concerts in 42 countries across the globe… Following multiple requests of their fans the 30 Seconds to Mars led by the irreplaceable frontman Jared Leto will come back to Minsk to present the refreshed program Kakhanne + Palkasts, which continues the grand tour.

When: 4 April
Where: Chizhovka Arena, Minsk

Robbie Williams in Minsk

Briton Robbie Williams is one of the most successful pop singers in the world. Over his career the singer has released 10 albums and sold over 70 million copies. For his unique voice and manner of performance Elton John called Robbie Williams “Frank Sinatra of the twenty-first century”. Williams has received 17 BRIT Awards, was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame. In 2006 he entered the Guinness Book of World Records for selling 1.6 million tickets of his Close Encounters Tour in a single day. As part of the world tour in support of his new album Under The Radar Volume 1 the artist will present a spectacular show Let Me Entertain You in Minsk. It will also include his best hits Feel, Angels, Supreme, Come Undone, Let Me Entertain You...

When: 15 April
Where: Minsk Arena, Minsk

AMF Futsal Men’s World Cup in Belarus

The 11th AMF Futsal Men’s World Cup in Belarus will feature 16 world’s best teams. Minsk Arena, one of the largest European high-tech sports and cultural complexes, will be the main venue of the championship. Playoffs will take place at the largest sports venues in five Belarusian cities: Minsk, Brest, Pinsk, Borisov and Molodechno. Belarus was awarded the right to host the world championship thanks to the achievements of its national futsal team which currently ranks in the top 5. The tournament favorites are the reigning world champion Colombia and also Paraguay, Brazil, and Russia…

When: 17-25 April
Where: sports venues of Minsk, Brest, Borisov, Molodechno and Pinsk
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Alexandr Vassiliev in Minsk

Alexandre Vassiliev, an internationally acclaimed Russian and French costume and set designer for ballet, opera and theater, a guest lecturer in the history of fashion, Honorary Member of the Russian Academy of Fine Arts and the host of the Fashion Verdict TV program, will give a lecture on the fashion trends of spring-summer 2015 in Minsk. By the way, Alexandre Vassiliev has family ties with Belarus as his grandfather was a native of Molodechno. During the meeting with his fans the fashion guru will talk about the modern tendencies, will share secrets of the fashion industry, and will provide personalized recommendations to the meeting participants.

When: 20 April
Where: Minsk concert hall, Minsk

4th International Drama Laboratory in Minsk

The international theater project, which was launched in 2012, will bring together talented young playwrights from Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Latvia and other countries of the world. The visiting laboratory will culminate in the staging of the winning play which will be determined by Internet voting. For the first time in the history of the contest viewers can watch the play not only on stage but also on the Internet. The plays shown at the previous forums get on the theater playbills in Belarus and also into the shortlists of the prestigious festivals, including the festival of young playwrights Lubimovka, international festival of youth theaters Personas, the international Voloshin literary contest.

When: 20-26 April
Where: Minsk, Belarusian drama Centre
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Yuri Antonov in Belarus

The biography and career of the outstanding composer, singer, poet, and People’s Artist of Russia Yuri Antonov is closely connected with Belarus. He was born in the town of Molodechno in 1963 and worked as a soloist at the Belarusian State Philharmonic Society and was a music director of Viktor Vuyachich’s band. The legendary Vladimir Mulyavin also played guitar in that band for some time. The first success came to Yuri Antonov with his song “No One Is More Beautiful Than You.” His following hits In Kashtanovaya Street, I Am Coming Towards You, White Motor Ship, Do Not Forget, I Recall, and My Wealth became part of the pop music “golden fund.” The jubilee concert About You and About Me celebrating the 50th anniversary of Yuri Antonov’s music career will feature the most popular songs by the famous composer and singer such as Roof of Your House, Sea, Twenty Years Later, Mirror…

When, where:
20 April – Railway Workers’ House of Culture, Gomel
22 April – Palace of the Republic, Minsk

Lady Macbeth of Our District in Minsk

The Moscow Theater of the Young Viewer will present the production "Lady Macbeth of Our District" by Kama Ginkas in Minsk as part of their tour. The production is based on a short story of the same name by Nikolai Leskov. Lady Macbeth of Our District was premiered in 2013. It tells about the tragic love of a young merchant’s wife Katerina Lvovna, about her personal freedom and its limits. The leading part is played by Yelizaveta Boyarskaya, an actress of the Maly Drama Theater (Theater of Europe). In 2014 the production got two prestigious theater awards, the Crystal Turandot in the Best Production and Best Actress nominations and the Stanislavski Award in the nomination Event of the Season.

When: 22 April
Where: Central Officers’ House, Minsk

Telecommunications, Information and Bank Technologies Expo TIBO 2015

Representatives of the largest IT companies of Belarus and the CIS member states will gather in Minsk for one of the major events in the industry of telecommunications and software engineering. The program of the large-scale forum features the 22nd International Expo TIBO 2015 and the 22nd Belarus Congress on Information Society Technologies. The expo will showcase the latest scientific developments and software products by the leading Belarusian and world’s companies. In 2014 the list of participants included over 200 companies and organizations from 14 countries. All in all, partaking in the international forum were some 280,000 experts and representatives of IT companies and research centers. The organizers expect that this year the forum will attract even more participants and guests. The awards ceremony of the prestigious TIBO 2015 Internet Award will be the highlight of the forum. In the context of the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory, the organizers have decided to establish one more nomination in addition to the traditional ones: Internet website dedicated to the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War against Nazi Germany of 1941-1945.

When: 22 – 25 April
Where: Football Indoor Center, Minsk

The Great Gatsby ballet in Minsk

The international project The Great Gatsby is an exclusive show combining classical ballet, modern dance and cinema. The ballet based on the novel by Francis Scott Fitzgerald was produced by Dwight Rhoden recognized by The New York Times as “one of the most sought out choreographers of the day” who worked with such world-famous celebrities as Prince, Lenny Kravitz, Nina Simone, U2. Leading soloists of the Odessa Opera and Ballet Theater and the National Opera House of Ukraine (Kiev), artists of the American group Complexions Contemporary Ballet will star in the ballet production. The leading role of decadent bootlegger Jay Gatsby will be performed by internationally acclaimed ballet star, premier of the Mariinsky Theater Denis Matvienko. Wonderful music of renowned Russian composer Konstantin Meladze will help create the unique atmosphere of the Roaring Twenties.

When: 23 April
Where: Palace of Sports, Minsk

Cyrano de Bergerac production in Minsk

The Moscow Drama Theater on Malaya Bronnaya will present Pavel Safonov’s Cyrano de Bergerac performance based on the play of the same name by Edmond Rostand. Renowned actors Olga Lomonosova and Grigory Antipenko who rose to prominence after the TV show Be Not Born Beautiful will be starring in the performance. In accordance with the director’s plan, minimalistic stage design by Marijus Jacovskis will create a timeless world of creativity where actors transform the space, and objects can be used for different purposes. A special place in the performance belongs to the music by Faustas Latenas which echoes the words and mood of characters…

When: 29 – 30 April
Where: Palace of the Republic, Minsk

Oleg Basilashvili monoperformance in Minsk

Renowned actor, People’s Artist of the USSR Oleg Basilashvili who became famous after starring in Eldar Ryazanov’s Office Romance, A Railway Station for Two, Say a Word for the Poor Hussar and Georgiy Daneliya’s Autumn Marathon will present the monoperformance From St. Petersburg with Love… Reflections in Minsk. One of the brightest recent works of Oleg Basilashvili is the part of Woland in Vladimir Bortko’s Master and Margarita. The monoperformance will feature poems and pieces of music dedicated to St. Petersburg, one of the most magnificent and mysterious cities in world.

When: 30 April
Where: MAZ Culture Center, Minsk