Press releases

Reliving the magic: A look back at Slavianski Bazaar 2020

VITEBSK, 9 July (BelTA) – With just seven days to go before the 35th Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk, BelTA offers a special retrospective journey. Every day, we dive into our archival materials to bring you the brightest moments from each festival over the years. Today’s focus is on Slavianski Bazaar 2020.

The 29th International Festival of Arts Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk took place from 16 to 19 July, bringing together representatives from 23 countries. The festival featured an updated format, with all events held at outdoor venues. The Summer Amphitheater was equipped with state-of-the-art lighting technology typically used for major global shows. For the first time, a multi-tiered, high-resolution LED floor with integrated steps was installed.

The traditional flag-raising ceremony was held right outside the Summer Amphitheater. To mark the occasion in 2020, a parade of 29 cars drove up to the square, symbolizing each year of the festival’s existence.

President Aleksandr Lukashenko addressed the spectators during the opening gala concert, which took place under the motto “I love you, life!”. According to the head of state, Slavianski Bazaar has become the core of cultural and spiritual unity. “Whatever may be happening in the world, the international festival Slavianski Bazaar has always destroyed barriers and reinforced the friendship of peoples,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stated.

Philipp Kirkorov, a People’s Artist of Russia, was honored with the Special Award of the Belarusian president “Through art to peace and mutual understanding.” He made his debut on the festival stage back in 1994 and has since performed six solo concerts at Slavianski Bazaar over the years.

The festival evening “The Union State Invites...” featured a two-hour concert titled as Live Cinema Music by the Phonograph-Sympho-Jazz orchestra, conducted by Sergei Zhilin. The event brought together Russian and Belarusian performers, alongside stars of cinema, theater, and pop music.

A memorable highlight for both locals and guests of Vitebsk was the three-hour show Belarus Gathers Friends. It seamlessly combined the opening round of the 29th international contest of pop song performers Vitebsk 2020 with a lineup of international artists, alongside award winners from previous years.

The 29th international contest of pop song performers Vitebsk 2020 brought together artists from 14 countries. The official introduction and the first round of the competition, titled as Slavic Hit, took place during an evening show at the Summer Amphitheater, accompanied by the Presidential Orchestra of the Republic of Belarus conducted by Vitaly Kulbakov. The second round of the contest was held during the grand closing gala. Contestants performed global hits to a backing track, accompanied by the Todes show ballet. The jury was chaired by composer, singer, producer, and People’s Artist of Russia Oleg Gazmanov. Ultimately, the Grand Prix was captured by the representative of Belarus.

The competition program of the 18th international children’s music contest Vitebsk 2020 took place at the open-air venue near the Vitebsk Concert Hall. The site featured a modern stage equipped with LED screens and advanced scenographic structures. Young performers from 17 countries showcased their vocal talents before a jury headed by Aleksandr Soloduha, an Honored Artist of Belarus. In another big win for the host country, the Grand Prix also went to the representative of Belarus.

In 2020, Slavianski Bazaar hosted the very first showcase of the Belarusian #PROMOFEST “TOP ARTIST” project, spotlighting the country’s most talented young artists. A large number of these rising stars have already represented Belarus in global singing contests, musical initiatives, and popular TV talent shows.

The festival’s film program, titled as Movie Night, was organized in partnership with the Belarusfilm national film studio. Dedicated to the 75th anniversary of Victory, the project featured two war films. The first to be screened at the open-air venue near the Vitebsk Concert Hall was the anthology film War. Remaining Human, which consists of four dramatic stories about the Great Patriotic War directed by young filmmakers. The second screening featured The Brest Fortress film.

As part of the forum, the On Seven Winds street art festival was held for the sixth time, bringing together 70 groups from Belarus. The lineup included masked theaters, performance artists, rock musicians, poets, photographers, DJs, fire spinners, as well as children’s and adult dance groups.

In 2020, the festival also hosted the finals of the 2nd Dream Dance Fest project. The competition showcased the choreographic talents of dancers from Belarus, alongside international students from Turkmenistan and China studying at Belarusian universities.

Victory Square became the starting point for a unique youth initiative on Youth Day: the #Belarus. Youth. Inspiration project. The journey united nearly 100 gifted students, young researchers, athletes, student labor brigade members, volunteers, and bloggers. Over the course of a week, they traveled aboard a train customized with the project’s symbols, following a nationwide route: Vitebsk to Minsk via Shklov, Mogilev, Gomel, Pinsk, Brest, Grodno, and Molodechno. Along the way, they explored iconic sites built in independent Belarus and honored the memory of both fallen and living heroes of the Great Patriotic War.

The vibrant City of Craftsmen fair spread across Tolstoy and Pushkin Streets for the duration of the festival. This lively area also hosted the Sky Colors contest, celebrating both traditional and modern artistic painting. Right next to it, guests had a chance to connect with folk artists at the Paradise Garden 2020 decorative painting plein-air.

The inner courtyard of the local history museum came alive with the Puppet Courtyard project, hosting a variety of live puppet shows.

The festival vibes took over Freedom Square with the 7th open national dance tournament and the regional folk music and ditty competition.

The main events of the 35th International Festival of Arts Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk will run from 16 to 19 July, with the first concerts kicking off as early as 14 July.