2024
"Braslav Zarnitsy – 2024"
The International Festival of Traditional Culture "Braslav Zarnitsy" is one of the oldest festivals in Belarus. In 2024, it will celebrate its 57th anniversary. The priority goals are the development and popularization of traditional culture, raising the professional level and performance skills of creative teams, strengthening and expanding friendly ties, and exchanging cultural traditions with other countries.
In 2024, the concept of the festival is "Braslavshchyna. Culture. Quality". All significant events (the open competition of choral groups "Braslav Choral Assembly", the open folk dance competition "Pazerki Tapatki", and the concert-greeting) featured laureates from previous years.
As part of the festival, the following events took place:
- the open competition of choral groups "Braslav Choral Assembly";
- the open folk dance competition "Pazerki Tapatki";
- the festive concert-greeting for the participants of the festival "We sincerely welcome our friends!".
- a solo performance by pop singer Vlada, a soloist of the Belarusian State Philharmonic;
- a meeting of official delegations from Russia (Republic of Karelia, Pskov District), Latvia.
The festival program on May 31 included a series of thematic events featuring children's creative teams: a children's creativity festival for students of children's art schools, an art café, a city festival, and more.
On June 1, the events began with the open competition "Braslav Choral Assembly", which has been held for over 10 years and aims to popularize the traditions of singing art, improve the performance skills of the groups, and discover new names and talents in choral singing. The competition is dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Republic of Belarus from Nazi invaders. This year, 23 groups participated in the choral assembly, including those from the Russian Federation.
Thanks to the "Braslav Choral Assembly", the organizers managed to preserve the most important tradition of the region – for many years, participants and guests of the festival have been greeted by a combined 1000-voice choir from creative teams of the Republic of Belarus, Vitebsk region, and the countries participating in the festival.
At numerous interactive sites in the "Lesnichovka" forest park, where the main events took place, local folk cultural traditions of unique recreation, tourism, and nature of Braslavshchyna were demonstrated. The names of the zones characterized the most popular tourist attractions of the Braslav district: "Festival", "Belarusianka", "Cheerful", "Fisherman's", "Hut", "Veles' Shelter", and others. The "Festival" zone featured an improvised stage where creative teams presented their work. The "Fisherman's" zone offered tastings of Braslav fish soup. The "Cheerful" zone hosted a fair of folk amusements.
Traditionally, on Castle Hill, a medieval knight tournament "Sword of Bracislav" took place, where visitors could learn about the life, culture, and history of peoples in the early Middle Ages. Festival participants included historical reconstruction clubs "Naglfar", "Vargentorn", "VIR", "Truvarin", "Vitland", "Sphagnum", the historical costume theater "Polotsk Zvyaz" and others.
Simultaneously, the following sites operated: a warrior camp, a "Living Archaeology" site, a craftsman's camp, and a "City of Masters", a kitchen, a combat site, archers, and others. By tradition, the festival began with a mandatory ritual — the making of fire.
The festival continued with master classes on ancient dances, street performances, and demonstrations of skills in archery, spear throwing, and sword fighting. The most spectacular were the buhurts - demonstration knight fights, where representatives of the clubs divide into two groups and show battles, captures, and defenses. No less informative was the site where festival visitors could try their hand at ancient amusements and games. The atmosphere of medieval culture was enhanced by the archaic singing group "Knyazhych", the historical and role-playing reconstruction collective and board games "Rostan", and the mythological theater "Uroboros". The performance of the group "Aratsey" was also bright and memorable.
On June 2, a creative forum #WEARETOGETHER took place with the participation of foreign groups. The program included an open discussion, international exchange of opinions, souvenirs, and a creative battle concert on the stage of the District Culture Center, as well as an exhibition-tasting of local dishes.
As part of the festival, the IV Open Folk Dance Competition "Pazerki Tapatki" was held. This year, 20 honored, exemplary, and folk amateur choreographic groups participated in the competition - folk dance ensembles from Russia and the Republic of Belarus, as well as student ensembles from colleges of culture and arts. The program of the competitive performance consisted of more than 45 numbers, showcasing Belarusian folk dances, stylized folk choreography, and dances of the peoples of the world.
Three rich, vibrant days of the festival concluded with the traditional performance of the song about Braslavshchyna "On Braslav's lakes, we will meet again", which has already become a kind of anthem of the Braslav Zarnitsy.
The International Festival of Traditional Culture "Braslav Zarnitsy" is one of the most popular events in Braslavshchyna.
Every year at the end of May, Braslav transforms into a unique cross-border song and dance venue.
The festival attracts dancers, singers, and musicians from various corners of Belarus and neighboring and distant countries.
The history of its holding is filled with the brightest moments that remain in the memory of more than one generation.
The symbolic start of the festival was a song contest in the distant 1967. The first "Braslav Zarnitsy" was dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. The concert was opened by a combined 1000-voice choir. Its participants were workers from industrial and agricultural enterprises and organizations of the district. From the very first year, "Braslav Zarnitsy" became a new trend in the cultural life of the Vitebsk region. Later, "Braslav Zarnitsy" varied greatly in theme but were united by one name and time of year. They were dedicated to the workers of the village, cultural workers, children, and folk crafts.
In 2009, the festival received the status of "international", and in 2015 it was included in the List of international and republican festivals, competitions, forums, holidays, and plenaries held on the territory of the Republic of Belarus, financed from republican and/or local budgets, approved by the resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus on April 2, 2015, No. 263.
Currently, the main goals of the festival are the development and promotion of traditional culture of the participating countries, strengthening and expanding international ties, and supporting Belarusian diasporas abroad.
Under the guidance of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Belarus, the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, and the Braslav District Executive Committee, creative ideas are being implemented. Thanks to coordinated efforts, the festival is constantly evolving and improving, attracting the attention of guests from near and far abroad.
