Guests from 71 States Granted Visa-Free Entry for Slavianski Bazaar Festival

"Attention, Vitebsk speaking and showing!" The callsign of the Slavianski Bazaar festival will be heard this week. Final preparations and installations are underway.

Traditionally, the festival will feature concerts, theatrical performances, exhibitions, film screenings, and folk art fairs. The main venue is the Summer Amphitheater, where the grand opening ceremony and major concerts will take place.

Additionally, special attention will be given to the international competitions for young performers — both adult and children’s. For example, at the popular pop song contest "Vitebsk," Belarus will be represented by Valery Bernatovich. And in the children’s category, 13-year-old Amaliya Sukhan will perform. On the first day, contestants will sing songs from popular cartoons.

The jury for the children’s competition will be headed by Honored Artist of Belarus, Evgeny Oleynik. For the adult contest, Belarus will be represented by jury member Petr Yelfimov, with Taisia Povaliy serving as the chairperson.

Furthermore, annually at the festival’s stage, the award from the President of Belarus "Through Art — Towards Peace and Mutual Understanding" is presented. It can be awarded to any cultural or artistic figure, creative collective, or organization that has contributed to strengthening international cultural cooperation.

The name of the laureate to be honored by the President is kept secret. Traditionally, a commemorative star-shaped sign featuring a cornflower is unveiled on the Square of Stars, indicating the year of award and the artist’s name.

In 2024, the award was received by the People's Artist of Russia, Grigory Leps.

For festival guests from 71 countries, a visa-free regime for entry, temporary stay, and exit from Belarus is in place until July 20. The original or electronic ticket to festival events will serve as the border crossing permit for foreign citizens.

In turn, Belarusian Railways has scheduled an international train service between Vitebsk and Moscow. The train will run daily between the two cities from July 7 to 15, with timings aligned with the festival program.

The train car interiors are decorated with "Slavianski Bazaar" symbols, and passengers traveling to Vitebsk will have the opportunity to learn in detail about the festival’s history and its program during the journey.