On April 17, Vitebsk /Diana Kurilo - BELTA/. The Year of Books will be celebrated at the XX International Festival of Folk Music "Zvinyats' tymbaly i harmonik" in Postavy. Work on the festival programme has already begun, as reported to a BELTA correspondent by the culture department of the Postavy District Executive Committee. The international celebration of folk music will take place from June 8 to 10. This year, it has two anniversaries: along with the 20th anniversary, the festival will mark the 15th anniversary of its "international" status being granted, so its programme promises to be interesting and diverse. For the first time, a stone carvers' plein air will be held on the eve of the festival. Students of the Belarusian State Academy of Arts will participate in it, and their best works will adorn Postavy. Events dedicated to the Year of Books and the 130th anniversary of the birth of the classics of Belarusian literature - Yanka Kupala and Yakub Kolas - are planned for the festival. Preparations for the festival are in full swing. Representatives from Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Turkey, and France have already confirmed their participation. The international festival "Zvinyats' tymbaly i harmonik" brings together dozens of professional and amateur folk music and song ensembles from different countries, and provides an opportunity for residents and guests of the district to attend their concerts free of charge. Thanks to the festival, the Zhirovich National Academic Folk Orchestra of the Republic of Belarus, the Tsitovich National Academic Choir of the Republic of Belarus, and the state Honoured Choreographic Dance Ensemble "Khoroshki" have visited Postavy. -0-

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