Vitebsk

Vitebsk will celebrate its 1043rd anniversary with large-scale events from June 23-25, BELTA was informed by the city executive committee.

The celebration will kick off on June 23 with the opening of a new trolleybus route and two sculptural compositions, and this day will conclude with a grand concert and the honoring of the laureates of the "Vitebsk Citizen of the Year" award at the Summer Amphitheatre. The "My Favorite City" motor rally along Vitebsk's main streets, which will finish at Victory Square, will open the second day of events. Here, an exhibition of vintage cars, crossfit competitions and demonstrations, and the "Vitbichi" city newspaper festival (competition for the tallest person named Fyodor Makhnov, competitions for baby strollers and pavement drawings) will be held. In the evening, the "In Vitebsk Youth Rhythms" program will draw dance enthusiasts to the square. And a late fireworks display will not mark the end of the festivities, but will merely announce the upcoming Sunday Youth Day. On June 25, the "MolodezhPROZHOZH" platforms from various organizations and companies will operate at Victory Square: car exhibition; crossfit from Family fitness club CrossMax; Street Workout; "I'm at Youth Day" photo zone, photo drying, and others. Laser tag club Colt will offer those wishing to transform into Rambo, and confident cycling enthusiasts will be able to participate in the "BIKE Vitebsk" competition and the VeloLook contest. In the evening, participants of the qualifying rounds of the "Fire of Dance" and "Battle of DJs" youth competitions will perform for the citizens.

Cultural institutions and small city venues are also preparing their own programmes. Literary festivals dedicated to the 500th anniversary of Belarusian printing, library and educational institution exhibition-fairs, craft fairs, vernissages, musical improvisations, theatrical performances, a ballroom dancing masterclass, a rock concert, and more are planned. A historical camp will be set up on Millennium Square, and in Frunze Park, historical reenactment clubs will recreate the events of the Vitebsk-Orsha operation to save F. Blokhin's bridge. On June 24, a bell ringing festival will take place near the Holy Assumption Cathedral. There will even be a promised bell call between the churches of the historical city centre. During these days, a tram excursion around Vitebsk and boat trips along the Western Dvina will be organised. The urban forum "Prastora" with a land-art plein air, a seminar, and a festival programme, the international intellectual games tournament "Princess Olga's Cup", the S. Yurkovsky photo contest "Photocroc", the literary and musical festival "Baradulinki", and much more will take place.

Representatives of the public, veterans, and youth will lay flowers and wreaths at the memorial complex in honour of Soviet soldiers, partisans, and underground fighters of the Vitebsk region, thereby marking the 73rd anniversary of the liberation of Vitebsk from German-fascist occupation in the Great Patriotic War.

News of Belarus (BELTA)