Press releases

Slavianski Bazaar 2024: SCO culture, Kavkaz Music Fest, organ jazz

VITEBSK, 13 July (BelTA) – There are only three days left before the 35th International Festival of Arts Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk. BelTA offers a look at the festival’s history: every day, we publish archival materials to share the brightest moments of past festivals year by year. Today’s focus is on the 2024 event.

The 33rd International Festival of Arts Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk took place from 9 to 15 July. More than 7,000 people from 42 countries received accreditation. For the first time, representatives from South Africa joined the forum. The main themes of the festival included the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from Nazi invaders, the Year of Quality, the 110th anniversary of composer Mark Fradkin who was born in Vitebsk, and the 50th anniversary of the honored Belarusian ensemble Syabry. Events were held across more than 20 city venues.

The festival kicked off with a new project Guests from the Future, which featured popular bloggers, youth performers, and the best children’s creative groups. The concert also hosted the draw for the 22nd international children’s music contest Vitebsk and the award ceremony for the winners of the 6th international project Dream Dance Fest.

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko welcomed the audience at the opening gala concert. “Today, this festival unites people of different generations, religions, and cultures – true art lovers with a wide variety of preferences, from the avant-garde to the classics. But most importantly, it has become a truly family holiday, a celebration of traditional values. Here, residents and our guests can truly unwind,” the head of state said.

The Belarusian president highlighted the presence of creative groups from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states at the forum. The festival program included the SCO National Cultures Day. “Let it become a symbolic beginning of our joint journey toward common goals. Goals that have united more than half of the planet’s population – people to whom the philosophy of our festival is close and clear. It holds the key to peace and mutual understanding, which is given to us by people of art, by talented individuals,” the Belarusian leader said.

At the gala concert, he presented the main prize of the festival, the special award of the Belarusian president “Through art to peace and mutual understanding,” to People’s Artist of Russia Grigory Leps.

The Belarus-Russia Union State Days at the forum featured a concert and the premiere of The Tale of Tsar Saltan musical scored by Aleksandr Zatsepin. The festival also debuted the international social spiritual and educational project Film Lecture Hall “Dormitory,” combining documentary screenings with Q&A sessions with famous directors and actors.

A major premiere at Slavianski Bazaar in 2024 was the Kavkaz Music Fest, an ethnic forum originating from Nalchik. The Vitebsk stage welcomed the most popular Caucasian pop artists from Adygea, Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, North Ossetia, and Chechnya. As a result, Slavianski Bazaar gained a sister festival, with a strong creative friendship officially sealed and signed by representatives of both events.

The main event of the Vitebsk forum was the international pop song contest Vitebsk. On the first competition day, the artists performed a Slavic hit, accompanied by the Presidential Orchestra of the Republic of Belarus, with Vitaly Kulbakov as chief conductor. On the second day, which also marked the closing of the forum, world hits were performed. The Grand Prix was awarded to an artist from Moldova.

The 22nd international children’s music contest Vitebsk took place over two days. First, the participants performed a song that best showcased their vocal skills and artistic abilities, accompanied by the honored collective of the Finberg National Academic Concert Orchestra of Belarus. On the second day, they sang a song in the language of the country they represented. The winner was a young performer from Uzbekistan.

The festival’s concert program featured a performance by the Turetsky Choir art group. People’s Artist of Russia Oleg Gazmanov held his anniversary concert 55 Years on Stage. Fans’ favorite songs from his repertoire spanning different years, as well as premieres, were performed live by the artist and his band Eskadron at the Vitebsk Concert Hall.

At the forum, residents and guests of the city could also attend the Rock Panorama concert, featuring artists accompanied by the Symphony Orchestra of the Belteleradiocompany. The program also included the Golden Hit retro party, a KVN comedy game where teams competed for the Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk Cup, the Rhythms of Summer open-air party, and the Chanson TV All Stars gala concert.

Jazz debuted on the organ at Slavianski Bazaar for the first time. Opening with modern compositions, the musicians surprised the audience by playing both well-known hits and their original music.

The Yakub Kolas National Academic Drama Theatre hosted the Theatrical Meetings, which featured the premiere of Hamlet in the Belarusian language, a production resulting from the 2023 Theatre Lab.

A new feature of the festival in 2024 was the expanded educational projects Opera Lab, held jointly with the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts (GITIS), and Instrumental Lab, organized in partnership with the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music.

A total of 12 exhibitions opened across eight festival venues. They included Vladimir Mulyavin: Heritage of the Great Maestro, the mobile exhibition Our Duty Is to Remember dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from Nazi invaders, and Leningraders: A Picturesque Portrait from the collection of the State Museum of the History of Saint Petersburg, among others.

Street performances, exhibitions, and plays from the On the Seven Winds fest filled the city with a festive atmosphere.

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