The International Arts Festival Slavonic Bazaar in Vitebsk

Organized by Belarus, Russia and Ukraine, the first festival was held in Vitebsk on 18 July 1992. It was designed to introduce city residents and guests to Slavonic song folklore. Since 1995 the festival has been held under the patronage of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko. The same year the Slavonic Bazaar became to be known as the International Festival of Arts.

In 2000 the Slavonic Bazaar set a record bringing together representatives of all Slavonic nations. The FIDOF awarded the festival with the diploma “Festival of the Year” in 2000 and 2004. In 2005 Vitebsk played host to the Assembly of the International Federation of Festival Organizations (FIDOF), which meant the high level recognition of the festival.

Apart from concerts, the program also included entertainment projects, such as Festival Without Borders, Puppet Quarter, the folk costume festival Stitches of Workmanship, Street Art Fest, the marathon contest of reciters that will enter the Slavonic Bazaar Book of Records, as well as the much-loved shows Golden Hit, Stars of Chanson TV, Еuropa Plus TV. Hit Non Stop, and the open air festival "Vitebsk Dance Night" featuring the world’s best DJs.

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