Belarus to host "Night of Museums"

This international event has been held since 2005. Back then, over a thousand institutions from 47 countries responded to the initiative, ratifying the Council of Europe Convention. The decision was made to involve city residents, for whom museums are both so close and so far away. Belarus was also among the first to introduce exhibits.

On the evening of May 16, over 90 exhibitions across the country will be open until dusk. Visitors are invited to immerse themselves in a cultural sleepless night for a vibrant experience.

Night had already enveloped the National Art Museum of Belarus the day before. The labyrinth of exhibitions has changed the lighting scheme—a mysterious blue reigns everywhere. The color of a passport, a cornflower, and the sky. It is this color that the event's headliners will be discussing at the museum. Lectures and music will continue here until 1 a.m.—longer than anywhere else.

A blue line depicts Chagall's love and dreams, and Klein's infinity. But slides featuring world-renowned masterpieces are just one of 40 events scattered throughout the museum space. A vytinanka (a delicate openwork figurine), a portrait for memory, and an aroma station will also feature the most frequently cited of flowers. For example, a "multi-blue bird" will fly through the Russian Art Hall, while fashion installations are presented to the sounds of the harp and lectures are given.

Artem Lapitsky, Senior Researcher at the Department of the National Art Museum of Belarus:

"In various cultures, including Belarusian culture, masters, artists, and artisans have strived to surpass their own achievements. And it was precisely as part of the international "Night of Museums" event that we decided to use this theme to highlight this endless idea. Achieving the ideal. We will listen, we will look, we will talk, we will move, we will smell the aroma of this color, we will form our own associations. The program is very rich."

The White Hall will be transformed into a concert hall. Closer to midnight, the stalls will disperse, making way for a DJ booth. Meanwhile, the windows across the street – the Petrus Brovka Literary Museum – will feel at home, with the acoustics of the Borisovsky Trakt metro station.

Marta Gribko, Director of the Petrus Brovka Literary Museum:

"We have planned lectures on architecture, everyday life, people, and their relationships." In total, "Night of Museums" will cover 90 museums, revealing their interactive potential. For the sleepless, Babruisk will recreate the spirit of a provincial town from 1913. A fire mystery show will be offered in Zdravnevo. And at the Gomel branch of the Vetka Museum, St. George's Horse will be on full display.

The capital is not far behind: cultural institutions have prepared a rich program. Signature tours will be offered at each museum. And the Bolshoi Theater of Belarus invites you to absorb everything you've seen and take a musical break.

Chamber Concert at the Bolshoi Theater of Belarus

"Shadows of Reflections," a chamber concert, will begin at 11:00 PM. Spectators will be seated in the mezzanine foyer, where they will be allowed to stroll. Piano, marimba, percussion, and mezzo-soprano are the program's highlights. Opera soloists and orchestra musicians are preparing meditative works and jazz standards.

Irina Butel, pianist at the Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus and winner of international competitions:

"In addition to classical works like Debussy's 'The Girl with the Flaxen Hair' and 'Moonlight' (that's what I'll be performing), I'll also be performing New Age music, which is somewhat distant and perhaps even unfamiliar to classical musicians. These will be pieces by Ludovico Einaudi and David Lanza. And I was very interested in immersing myself in this world and working on these pieces."

The international initiative includes more than just literary and art museums. The list also includes some unexpected locations, such as the BSU Zoological Museum and the Museum of Geosciences.