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Two Father Frosts, educational projects: What made Slavianski Bazaar 2023 so special?

MINSK, 12 July (BelTA) – The 35th International Festival of Arts Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk is just 4 days away. BelTA offers a look back at the event’s history: every day we share archival materials highlighting the brightest moments of each festival year by year. Today, we look back at the 2023 festival.

The 32nd International Festival of Arts Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk took place from 12 to 17 July. More than 200 events were held during the festival, with over 5.8 thousand people from 35 countries accredited for them.

A unique preview of the Slavianski Bazaar was presented on June 30 at VDNKh in Moscow. Inside the Republic of Belarus pavilion at Russia’s main exhibition site, a unique metal structure was assembled, replicating the shape of the arch of the Vitebsk festival’s main stage – the Summer Amphitheater. Beneath its vault, under the light of built-in spotlights, 32 photographs were displayed, representing the number of years the festival has run and capturing the unforgettable moments of the forum of arts from various years. The presentation was accompanied by performances by popular Russian and Belarusian artists.

In time for the 32nd festival, a major renovation was completed at the legendary Summer Amphitheater as it marked its 35th anniversary, featuring a modernized arch. The Vitebsk Concert Hall and its adjacent territory were also updated, acquiring a completely new appearance. Altogether, over 20 performance stages, including outdoor venues, were involved.

At the festival’s opening ceremony on 13 July, the Belarusian president presented the special award “Through art to peace and mutual understanding” to Honored Artist of Belarus Alena Spiridovich. He emphasized that the long-standing host of Slavianski Bazaar was among those who saved the festival many years ago by turning to the head of state for help. The Belarusian leader noted that those were challenging times, and the difficulty was not just the collapse of the Soviet Union or a lack of finances. “The issue is that some people, who emerged in our society back then, tried to drag this Slavianski Bazaar from city to city. Only a few people, including Alena, felt that the festival would dissolve and die if that happened,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said. “When I came back from my first festival back then, I understood it all.”

The head of state wished that the history of Slavianski Bazaar and Belarus would be eternal, and that the festival’s stage would always feature the finest melodies and voices not only of Belarusian masters of arts, but also of those from brotherly Russia, Ukraine, neighboring Slavic nations, and many other peoples. The president also wished that peace and creation would remain the primary goals for current and future generations.

A pleasant surprise was prepared for the participants of the song contests in 2023: the draw was conducted under new rules, with the running order determined separately for the first and second days. As the festival organizers noted, it was psychologically difficult for the artists who drew number one to open both competition days, so the management introduced this innovation.

A representative from Armenia won the grand prize at the 32nd International Pop Song Contest Vitebsk, which brought together performers from 15 countries.

One of the most memorable moments was when two Father Frosts took the stage – one from Belarus’ Belovezhskaya Pushcha and the other from Russia’s Veliky Ustyug. The appearance of these festive characters added a magical touch to the draw for the Vitebsk children’s music contest. Contestants from 18 countries each received a gift and a Christmas ornament marked with their performance numbers for both stages of the competition. In a historic first, the young talents at the 21 International Children’s Music Contest Vitebsk performed alongside the Finberg National Academic Concert Orchestra of Belarus. Ultimately, the children’s Grand Prix went to a young performer from Kazakhstan.

The program of Union State events, which were held in an expanded format for the second consecutive year, included the gala concert The Union State Invites..., the Inspiration of Dance choreographic art concerts, performances by winners of the Vitebsk International Pop Song Contests, as well as solo concerts by Russian pop stars. The main concept of the gala concert at the Summer Amphitheater was a tribute to People’s Artist of the USSR Igor Luchenok, whose 85th birth anniversary was celebrated in 2023. The artists performed on stage accompanied by an orchestra.

After a temporary break, KVN comedy stars returned to the Vitebsk festival to battle for the Slavianski Bazaar Cup. Major League teams, including the 2022 champions Doctor Hauss (Mogilev), Yura (Moscow), Bortsy. Severny Desant (Surgut), Triod i Diod (Smolensk), and Russkaya Doroga (Armavir), performed their funniest sketches. The show kicked off with a performance by the children’s comedy team Pushka from Grodno, who warmed up the crowd.

The festival introduced its first-ever opera laboratory in 2023. Under the mentorship of experienced performers, future Belarusian and Russian opera stars worked on refining their technique, overcoming vocal issues, and managing stage fright. Eight young talents, many of whom are still in music colleges, graduated from this unique program.

More than 40 embroiderers and lace makers gathered for the Charounaya Nitka (Magic Thread) regional contest, crafting their delicate artworks right out on the street.

In 2023, nearly 2.5 million viewers watched the TV broadcasts of all events of the Vitebsk forum.

The main events of the 35th International Festival of Arts Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk will take place from 16 to 19 July, while the first concerts will be held on 14 July.