Culture of Belarus

In the Swirls of Cultural Life

Cultural life goes on all the year round in the cities and towns of Belarus. Theatrical premieres, music festivals, concert tours of famous performers, meetings with poets and art exhibitions follow each other in an endless chain of noteworthy events. If this is your first time in Belarus, you can visit museums to get acquainted with its history and modern life. In the capital and other cities of the country, there are museums of history, arts, regional studies, as well as exhibition halls with changing expositions. Museums of local studies will tell you details of history and everyday life of certain areas.

The unique Belarusian museums are of keen interest: Berestie, in Brest, a town site of the 10-13^th centuries; the Museum of the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945, in Minsk; the house-museum of the world famous artist Marc Chagall, with a collection of his works, in Vitebsk; the open-air museum devoted to everyday life of Belarusian villages, in Strochitsa.

Adeveloped network of cinemas offers awide range of movies: from small-budget intellectual films to world famous block-busters. Every November, the International Film Festival “Listapad” takes place in Minsk and draws together directors, film critics, actors and actresses from many countries of the world. In its frames, the festival of children’s cinema “Listapadzik” is held.

The theatrical season in Belarus continues all the year round. In summer, the Belarusian theatres make performance tours, while the spectators enjoy the art of guest theatres. Every autumn, for a fortnight, the International Theatre Festival “The Panorama” moves the cultural life to the large and small stages of the capital.

The country’s music life is varied and does not concentrate in the capital alone. The International Festival of Slavic Culture “The Slavic Bazaar”, held in Vitebsk, is one of the most interesting events. In July, for a fortnight, the city plunges into the atmosphere of a big holiday; hotels and concert tickets should be booked beforehand.