The end of summer in Belarus will be marked with a series of activities dedicated to promoting national heritage and exploring it in the European context. Among the heritage events launching this September, the National Historical Museum of the Republic of Belarus will host a special exhibition to celebrate European Heritage Days 2018.

Taking place on September 13 at 17:00, the exhibition titled Outstanding Compatriots of the History celebrates European Heritage Days and the Year of the Little Homeland in Belarus. It is organised in partnership with the Belarusian Society of Friendship and Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries, with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Belarus to promote the national heritage in the European context and preserve the memory of key figures in Belarussian history.

Consisting of portraits of outstanding compatriots from the collection of graphics of the National Historical Museum, the exhibition will explore a very important topic for Belarus. It will present a series of colour lithographs by artists Liyali and Valentina Varetsa featuring historic figures who contributed to the development of Belarus politics, economy, and culture. Some of them are Francis Skaryna, Efrosinya Polotskaya, Mikola Gusovsky, Simon Budny, Ostafi Volovich, Konstantin Ostrozhsky, Lev Sapega.

The City of Minsk Celebrations

In addition to the European Heritage Days exhibition, another important cultural event that recently took place in Belarus was the City of Minsk Celebration. On 7 September, the citizens and visitors of Minsk had an opportunity to join different cultural events that explore the city’s history and culture.

Among the institutions that joined this celebration, the House of the Vankovichs Museum presented its incredible art collection from the first half of the XIX century. In addition to this, the musical evening titled The City of Lovers took place at the National Art Museum, attracting numerous visitors eager to be part of the vibrant cultural life of Minsk.

Exploring Culture & Heritage in Belarus

For those who are interested in learning more about the culture and heritage of Belarus, various resources are available online. The national inventory of intangible cultural heritage of Belarus can be browsed on a dedicated portal, while the calendar of all culture and heritage events for this year can be found here.

Another way to learn more about the Belarusian history and culture is to visit the National History Museum, which is one of the most popular institutions of this kind in the country. The museum collections are the largest in Belarus containing more than 400 thousand units that represent unique collection of treasures from different parts of Belarus.

Opening their doors to visitors for celebratory occasions this September and welcoming culture explorers throughout the year, these places are ideal for exploring Belarus from another perspective. With thematic events such as those dedicated to European Heritage Days, these cultural institutions help promote Belarusian history, culture, and traditions in the European context.