SLAVYANSKY BAZAAR IN VITEBSK

Vitebsk is famous not only in Belarus. When talking about Vitebsk, one cannot but mention the names of Shagal, Malevich, Kandinsky and others. But the inhabitants of this ancient city have yet another reason to be proud of it: it’s the place where the International Art Festival «Slavyansky Bazaar» is held annually.

The first musical festival «Slavyansky Bazaar» was opened in Vitebsk on July, 15, 1992. Since that time every year Vitebsk has been meeting singers, composers, dancers, artists from different countries of the world. 46 countries from 4 continents have taken part in this festival in the last 10 years. But in 1992 when it was held for the first time it was difficult to imagine that three years later, in 1995, «Slavyansky Bazaar» would be accepted into UNESCO’s International Festival Organization Federation (FOF) and would get the international status. The idea of the event was to gather the best performers from different countries and to demonstrate again and again that genuine art has no borders. The key words of the festival are brotherhood, mutual understanding, friendship.

Participants, organizers and spectators are looking forward to each new festival. For several days the regional centre with a population of over 600,000 people, turns into a kind of Mecca, greeting 100,000 people from all over the world. You can hear people talking in different languages and see dozens of multicoloured national flags fluttering over the main concert ground of «Slavyansky Bazaar» -amphitheatre.

Promising young performers from the USA, France, Great Britain, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Macedonia, Poland, Slovenia, Turkey, Georgia, Moldova, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and other countries take part in this festival. In a nutshell, this festival of art in Vitebsk has a world-wide fame.

Political leaders of Russia, Belarus, the Ukraine and some other countries arrive in Vitebsk to be present at the opening ceremony or send greeting telegrams and wish success to the participants of the festival.

In 1995 the first President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko opened «Slavyansky Bazaar - 95». In his speech at the opening ceremony he promised that he would support this festival and we must admit that he has been as good as his word. Since that time «Slavyansky Bazaar» has become the concern of the Belarusian government. And at «Slavyansky Bazaar – 2002» Alexander Lukashenko highlighted that this festival is a real fair of talents. The more we will communicate in the language of arts, the better mutual understanding will be. The President reassured the public and the participants, worried by the rumours spreading about that the festival would be held once in two years or even closed down, that in spite of the financial difficulties «Slavyansky Bazaar» would be held as usual, annually. His words were met with a burst of applause, which proves the wide popularity of the festival.

The programme of «Slavyansky Bazaar» is varied. There are concerts of pop stars, contests of young singers, concerts of children’s ensembles, the International contest of beauty «Miss Slavyanka», folk songs concerts, the days of the national culture, the holiday of fashion, the holiday of ballet, «Pevcheskoye Pole» (The Field of Singers), «Jazz Club», «Disco Bazaar», «Literary Sitting-Room», exhibitions of famous and young artists, photo exhibitions, «The Town of Masters», etc.

The main concert ground - the amphitheatre of Vitebsk – is richly decorated with fine national ornaments and the emblem of the festival (the cornflower) and it serves as a fantastic background for all the performers. The amphitheatre is always overcrowded because the festival evokes great interest. And though people from 28 countries can watch it on TV, they prefer to be present at live concerts. Showmen and participants of «Slavyansky Bazaar» often highlight that the Vitebsk audience is the best in the world: it is the most exacting, but at the same time the most pleasing and well-wishing public.

In hot days of July Vitebsk celebrates its birthday. The inhabitants of this ancient city and its guests have a jolly time and enjoy themselves greatly. And it adds more glamour to the grandeur of «Slavyansky Bazaar».

In a word, «Slavyansky Bazaar» demonstrates friendship of different nations (first of all, the Slavonic peoples), their desire to live in peace and communicate with each other in the language of art.

III. Comprehension check

1. Answer the questions:

1. What is Vitebsk famous for?

2. When was the first musical festival «Slavyansky Bazaar» opened?

3. What does Vitebsk turn into for about a week in July?

4. What is the main concert ground of the festival?

5. When was «Slavyansky Bazaar» given the international status?

6. What is the idea of the festival?

7. What countries take part in this festival?

8. Who usually greets the participants and the public at the opening ceremony?

9. Who supports this festival?

10. What is the programme of «Slavyansky Bazaar» like?

11. What adds glamour to the grandeur of the festival?

12. What is the emblem of «Slavyansky Bazaar»?

13. What does this festival demonstrate?

2. Agree or disagree with the following statements:

1. Vitebsk is the capital of Belarus.

2. The International Art Festival «Slavyansky Bazaar» is held once in two years in Minsk.

3. The first musical festival «Slavyansky Bazaar» was opened on June, 15, 1991 in Vitebsk.

4. In 1996 it was accepted into UNESCO’s International Festival Organization Federation (FOF) and received the international status.

5. Performers only from the three Slavonic republics – Russia, Belarus and the Ukraine – take part in «Slavyansky Bazaar».

6. People all over the world can watch «Slavyansky Bazaar» on TV.

7. The programme of the festival is quite diverse.

8. The emblem of the festival is a thistle.

9. The Vitebsk audience is the best in the world.

10. «Slavyansky Bazaar» demonstrates that genuine art unites people of different nationalities.

 

3. Put in the right prepositions where necessary:

1. The first musical festival «Slavyansky Bazaar» was opened ... Vitebsk ... July, 15 , 1992. 2. The idea ... the event was to gather ... the best performers ... different countries and to demostrate again and again that genuine ... art has no borders. 3. Participants,organizers and spectators are looking forward ... each new festival. 4. ... several days the regional centre ... a population ... over 600,000 people, turns ... a kind ... Mecca, greeting 100,000 people ... all ... the world. 5. The main concert ... ground - the amphitheatre ...Vitebsk - is richly decorated ... fine national ornaments and the emblem ... the festival (the cornflower) and it serves as a fantastic background ... all the performers. 6. ... a word, «Slavyansky Bazaar» demonstrates friendship ... different nations (first... all, the Slavonic peoples), their desire to live ... peace and communicate ... each other ... the language ... art.

 

4 . Fill in the table:

Emblem
The idea of the event
Countries
1995
Programme

5. Work in groups. Find out from your partners:

· if they have ever been present at the opening ceremony of «Slavyansky Bazaar»

· what they think about the programme of the festival

· what concerts of «Slavyansky Bazaar» they usually visit/watch on TV

· what celebrities took part in «Slavyansky Bazaar -2002»

6. Imagine that:

- your American friend has come to visit you. You are watching TV and he sees the advertisement about «Slavyansky Bazaar». He asks you to tell him about this festival. Role-play a dialogue with your partner;

- you and your friend are going to visit «Slavyansky Bazaar». You are discussing the places you would like to visit. Role-play a dialogue with your partner;

- you are a journalist and your chief-editor told you to interview some of the celebrities at «Slavyansky Bazaar-2002». Role-play a dialogue with your partners;

- you are in «The Town of Masters». Share your impressions;

- you are the chief producer of «Slavyansky Bazaar-2003». Work out the plan of the festival.

 

7. Choose the best alternative according to the text:

1) Vitebsk is famous for

a) «Komarovsky Bazaar»;

b) «Slavyansky Bazaar»;

c) the beauty contest «Miss Russia».

2) «Slavyansky Bazaar» has been held in Vitebsk since

a) 1995;

b) 2002;

c) 1992.

3) The festival is organized

a) every year;

b) every two years;

c) every ten years.

4) It usually lasts for

a) a month;

b) a fortnight;

c) a week.

5) The fourth art festival «Slavyansky Bazaar» was opened by

a) the President of Russia Vladimir Putin;

b) the President of the Ukraine Leonid Kuchma;

c) the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko.

6) In 1995 «Slavyansky Bazaar in Vitebsk» got the international status and was accepted into

a) UNESCO’s International Festival Organization Federation;

b) UNISEF’s International Festival Organization Federation;

c) UEFA’s International Festival Organization Federation.

7) The idea of the festival was

a) to demonstrate that authentic art unites people;

b) to support the development of the regional cen­tre;

c) to invite political leaders from different coun­tries to Vitebsk.

8) This festival of art in Vitebsk is

a) known all over the world;

b) the main event of the 21^st century;

c) the only festival held in Belarus.

9) The main concert ground, the amphitheatre of Vitebsk, is

a) richly decorated with mouldings and it serves as a fantastic background for the performers;

b) finely decorated with Belarusian ornaments and it serves as a great background for the performers;

c) richly decorated with national ornaments and it serves as a mysterious background for the performers.

10) In 2002 the President Alexander Lukashenko reaffirmed that«Slavyansky Bazaar»

a) would be closed down;

b) would be held in Minsk;

c) would be held every year.

11) The programme of the festival

a) is dull and monotonous;

b) doesn’t cater to all tastes;

c) is quite diverse.

12) Vitebsk celebrates its birthday in

a) hot days of June;

b) sultry days of July;

c) frosty days of January.

13) It makes the programme of «Slavyansky Bazaar»

a) more interesting;

b) more boring;

c) trivial and dull.

14) The Vitebsk public is

a) delightful and charming;

b) strict but gratifying;

c) the worst in the world.

15) «Slavyansky Bazaar» strengthens friendship of Slavonic nations and manifests their desire to

a) communicate in the Belarusian language;

b) converse in the international language ;

c) converse in the language of art.

16) The emblem of the festival is

a) a red rose;

b) a blue cornflower;

c) a white daffodil.

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