Theater, Cinema and Music
The Belarusian professional theatre has been combining global theatre styles and trends with the best national theatre traditions. Today there are 28 state-run theatres in Belarus. Psychological realism dominates Belarusian stages, though modernism aesthetics is also developing. The classical Belarusian dramaturgy is being renewed. The best plays, directors and actors enjoy popularity both at home and abroad. Belarusian theatres frequently tour, take part in and often win various international festivals,among which are the Edinburgh Theatre Festival in the UK, Schiller and Bonn Festivals in Germany, Shakespeare Festival in Spain, Chekhov Festival in Russia and many others.
Belarus often plays host to various theatre festivals. In 2007, the 12th Festival Belaya Vezha (White Tower) in Brest gathered together companies from 25 countries.
The international festival Panorama in Minsk features the best plays staged by the leading theatres of Russia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Estonia, Sweden, Israel, Germany and other countries. In 2008 the Belarusian State Puppet Theatre will mark its 70th anniversary with the international puppet festival in Minsk.
Shows of the National Academic Bolshoi Ballet Theatre of Belarus (www.balet.by) enjoy great popularity with the public. Belarusian choreography owes its international fame to theatre’s art director and ballet-master Valentin Yelizaryev. The ballet Passions by Belarusian composer A. Mdivani received the prize and diploma of the International Dance Association under UNESCO in 1995 for the best choreography.
The Belarusian cinematograph has rich traditions as well. The Film Studio Belarusfilm (www.belarusfilm.by) is one of the leading film studios in Eastern Europe. Not only Belarusian filmmakers make movies at Belarusfilm. Some joint projects with Russian, German and Israeli cinematographers have been implemented there. Belarusfilm also has documentary studio Letopis, a cartoon department, the Theatre of Cinemactors. With a view to enhancing quality of products, the studio started an upgrade project in 2007.
Recently documentaries have come to the forefront of the national film industry. The vast majority of documentary films are made at Belvideocenter. Documentaries play an important role in resurgence of the nation. Many documentaries are dedicated to famous Belarusians, national customs and traditions, folklore, arts and crafts, history, cultural heritage, flora and fauna. Belvideocenter documentaries have won prizes and awards of various international festivals (Festival of Nations in Austria; Message to Man in St. Petersburg, Russia; Film Festival of the Pompidou Centre in Paris, France; Zolotoi Vityaz in Minsk/Moscow). Belarusian animated films also have success at international festivals.
Festivals of films presented by various countries become major events held in the country. In 2007 animators from 12 countries nominated 37 works for the 10th international film festival Animaevka in Mogilev. Cinematographers from 33 countries took part in the movie festival Listapad-2007.
Music
The Belarusian nation is especially proud of its musical culture. Belarus’ contemporary art wants to preserve national traditions while enhancing professionalism connected with the main tendencies of development of the world musical movement. The Belarusian composers – D.Smolsky, G.Vagner, G.Gorelova, O.Khodosko and others successfully presented their works. Belarus boasts the State Academic Symphonic Orchestra, the ensemble of soloists Classic-Avant-Garde, the State Dancing Company, the Belarusian Choreographic Company Khoroshki, the State Academic Choral Choir named after G.Shirma, and the State Academic People’s Choir named after G.Tsitovich. In various styles and genres perform Belarusian professional bands abroad (Spain, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, India, France, Brazil, China, Lithuania, Poland, etc.). The vocal band Chisty Golos, which consists of five soloists, may be by right called Belarus’ visiting card. Their style of performing sacred and classical music gained wide recognition in many countries.
The Belarusian band Kamerata is also rather popular for its original style and repertory. The Belarusian bands perform in all popular musical styles: classical and heavy rock, rap, blues, pop-rock, chanson, electronic music and others. Ethnic music, which is a synthesis of the authentic folklore and contemporary musical trends, is popular in Belarus as well. The Belarusian ethnic trio Troitsa has gained widespread popularity abroad. Belarus became famous abroad also due to the bands Pesnyary and Syabry, whose creative work is closely connected with Belarus’ national traditions and is filled with civil pathos.
The State Symphonic and Pop Music Orchestra headed by Mikhail Finberg works hard to develop and popularize the national pop and musical culture. The orchestra organises chamber music festivals in small towns of Belarus. More than 70 festivals have been held in Nesvizh, Turov, Mir, Zaslavl, Mstislavl, Molodechno and Chechersk.
The Belarusian hospitable land plays host to many musical forums – Belarusian Musical Autumn, Minsk Spring, Golden Hit, a jazz festival and many others. In 2007 Yuri Bashmet International Festival gathered world stars of classical music in Minsk and Vitebsk.
The international festival of arts Slavyansy Bazar in Vitebsk (festival.vitebsk.by) has become a symbol of Belarus’ festival movement. Attending the forum are popular singers from many countries, theatre workers, film directors, actors, artists, famous public figures. For its 16-year history Slavonic Bazaar has become one of the most prestigious festivals in the world. In 2007 the International Federation of Festival Organisations (FIDOF) called Slavonic Bazaar in Vitebsk the festival of the year. The Vitebsk musical forum received the award for professionalism, excellent organisation, mastery of performers and popularisation of high humanistic ideas twice – in 2000 and 2004.
A very intensive process of intercultural interaction has lasted during the entire history of Belarus. In the centre of Europe, the country felt influence both of the East and the West. Many public and cultural processes overlapped the local traditions, enriching the traditional culture. Rich in talents, the Belarusian land was home to prominent figures, many of whom belong to the Belarusian culture as much as they do to cultures of other nations: Simeon of Polotsk, Adam Mitskevich, Stanislaw Moniuszko, Tadeusz Kosciusko, Michal Oginski, Marc Chagall and many others.
Contemporary Belarus continues the process of integration into the global community, exploration of the world’s cultural space. Belarus’ participation in the system of multilateral cultural cooperation is large. Belarusian Culture Days held abroad are an approach to popularising the rich Belarusian heritage. In 2007 the opportunity to get familiar with the culture of Belarus was granted to Egypt, Poland, Tajikistan, and Azerbaijan, in 2008 — to Syria. In turn, Belarus hosted days of Armenian and Indian cultures (2007), Tajikistan and Sweden (2008).
The International Chagall Days held in Marc Chagall’s home city Vitebsk were a major event on the international scale. In 2007 the 120th anniversary of the artist’s birthday was marked. Belarus presented an extensive programme: an exhibition in the Marc Chagall Museum, an international children’s and youth art school, a scientific conference dedicated to Marc Chagall’s art. A large-scale Belarusian- Latvian project “Marc Chagall – Mark Rothko: Art Without Boundaries” was worked out in Vitebsk and Daugavpils.
In 2007 the 125th anniversaries of Belarusian popular poets Yanka Kupala and Yakub Kolas were widely celebrated across the country. Multiple art exhibitions, scientific conferences, festivals, concerts and actions were timed to the date. Representatives of Belarusian diaspora abroad – in Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Moldova, and Russia – were in the thick of the festivities. In particular, two streets were named after Yanka Kupala and Yakub Kolas in the Polish town of Hajnowka. A commemorative sign to Yanka Kupala was unveiled in Gdansk. Riga played host to the second international festival of Belarusian songs. The Embassy of Ukraine in Belarus presented the first total Ukrainian translation of Yakub Kolas’ poem Novaya Zemlya (new land).
Belarusian Written Language Days held since 1994 are meant to enhance the prestige of the written language as the foundation of the centuries-old culture. The holiday is a tribute of deep respect for great Belarusian enlighteners Euphrosyne of Polotsk, Kirill of Turov, Frantsisk Skorina, Symon Bydnyi, Vasily Tiapinsky and others. Now a tradition, Belarusian Written Language Days are held in towns renowned as historical centres of culture, science, literature and book printing. The holiday has been held in Polotsk, Turov, Novogrudok, Nesvizh, Orsha, Pinsk, Zaslavl, Mstislavl, Mir, Kamenets, and Postavy. In 2007 Shklov welcomed the tradition. The event gathered over 2 thousand guests, including delegations from Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, representatives of foreign diplomatic missions accredited in Belarus. During the festival of books and the press pavilions and theme stands dedicated to the history of Belarusian book printing and the country’s modern books were deployed, Belarusian mass media were widely represented. Presentations of books and periodicals, meetings with writers and journalists, the awarding of laureates of the national contest Book Art, of the national contest for the last year’s best work of art Golden Cupid cannot entirely fill the list of events held during the Belarusian Written Language Days.
Contemporary Belarus continues the process of integration into of the world’s cultural space. Belarusian Culture Days held abroad are an approach to popularize the rich Belarusian heritage. In 2008, for the first time, the Days of Culture of the Republic of Belarus were held in Azerbaijan, Slovakia, Egypt, South Africa, China, and Kyrgyzstan. In 2008 Belarus hosted the Days of Culture of Tajikistan and Sweden, and welcomed artists from South Africa and
Venezuela.
On May 13-16, 2009, Belarus played host to the first festival of cultures of the EurAsEC member states.
