The 24th international song and music festival Dnieper Voices in Dubrovno will be held on 20-21 May and will bring together amateur groups from seven countries, BelTA learned from Lyudmila Dudareva, the head of the ideology, culture and youth affairs department at the Dubrovno District Executive Committee.

"This year we expect guests from all regions of Belarus, as well as from Russia, Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova and Poland. We will welcome them in the morning in the central square where agro-towns, schools and village councils will present their pavilions. They will showcase the things Dubrovno District is famous for, and also its cuisine, old games, arts and crafts. The guests will also attend two events in the central venue. For the first time the festival will include a regional competition of orchestras. We expect up to 380 musicians! The contest of traditional whistles Salaveika 2017 will gather artists from throughout the region. The best work will be honored during the closing ceremony on 21 May with a special prize – a ceramic statuette of a nightingale which is the symbol of the festival," Lyudmila Dudareva said.

The afternoon on 20 May will see the opening ceremony of the festival and a concert-presentation of participating groups. Traditionally after the ceremony, the guests will gather at the Rylenki memorial for a commemorative meeting to pay tribute to the memory of more that 10,000 soldiers who died liberating the district from the invaders.

The main venue on the second day of the festival will be the local stadium. The participants of the theatrical procession will proceed to the stadium in the morning along Komsomolskaya Street. "They will carry the amulet of the festival - a long towel made of towels brought by all guests. It has become a tradition to come to Dubrovno with its own bread-and-salt and exchange it with others on the opening day. Towels are left behind and made into one large towel," Lyudmila Dudareva said. The stadium will turn into a big fair of arts and crafts. A gala concert will include an awards ceremony, a traditional folk rite to pay farewell to guests and an evening program featuring well-known Belarusian singers. The festival will wrap up with the fireworks over the Dnieper and a retro disco in the local community center.

BELARUSIAN NEWS