Battle of DJs, cosplay show and not only: Minsk hosted a festival of subcultures

The city festival of subcultures “Code of Culture” unfolded in the park of culture and recreation named after the 50th anniversary of the Great October on September 12 and became a bright part of the celebration of the 959th anniversary of the capital, reports the correspondent of the agency “Minsk-Novosti”.

The festival was organized by the Minsk City Committee of BRSM. The motto of the project is “Cultural Code is your code in the city”.

- Here are the areas that young people are really passionate about. Even guests from Moscow came to congratulate Minsk residents on the City Day. More than 50 specialists are involved at the locations – this is the staff working group of the Minsk City Organization BRSM, professional sound engineers, qualified coaches, athletes and volunteers, said Alexey Pikus, First Secretary of the Minsk City Committee of BRSM. Young people sincerely love Minsk, thank him and appreciate the opportunities that the city provides for growth. If you have a desire to realize yourself in science, sports, creativity or education, the infrastructure is ready: there is a Youth House, a multifunctional sports ground at the Traktor Stadium, the updated Center for Technical Creativity of Children and Youth.

For the first time on the big stage

The program of the festival was opened by the show “Battle of DJs”. Six amateur DJs came on stage. For many participants, this set was the first serious test of the audience. Among them are students of the Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radio Electronics: sophomore student of the Faculty of Computer Systems and Networks Tikhon Food and third-year student Dominika Alexa, who acted as a duet.

- We are absolute amateurs, we used to play only at home for friends or in small companies. They showed the initiative, registered, and for us this is a real debut on a big open stage. The name of our tandem is not yet, the young people shared. The organizers made clear demands on the participants of the music competition. The length of the set for each participant was 20 minutes. Particular attention was paid to censorship and semantic content of compositions: the playlist strictly prohibited the use of profanity, as well as any mention of alcohol, prohibited substances.

The performances were evaluated by the referee team of club industry professionals. Among the referees is DJ coach Vladislav Fetisenko, whose experience at the remote is more than 18 years.

- We evaluate performances on several key criteria: technique of mixing tracks, artistry of participants, their ability to confidently stay on stage and interact with the audience. The sense of rhythm, purity of information and general drama of the set were taken into account, and technical delays led to the loss of points, Fetisenko said. In 20 minutes it is difficult to unfold a large-scale canvas with the introduction, climax and denouement, as in an hour-long set, so we assess the integrity of the musical sketch. And of course, courage: to go on stage is always to overcome fear and release adrenaline.

The art of reincarnation

One of the brightest and most spectacular blocks was a cosplay show. Cosplay is a youth cultural movement whose members recreate in detail the images, costumes, makeup and habits of their favorite characters in books, comics, films, cartoons and computer games.

A third-year student of the Shirokov Institute of Modern Knowledge Yana Oleynik took the stage in the image of Maomao from the anime “Pharmacist Monologue”. The girl has been cosplaying for about four years, regularly attending the capital's festivals.

- Creating a high-quality image is a painstaking and very expensive occupation, Oleinik said. A full suit with a professionally laid wig and handmade parts rarely costs less than 300 BYN. The attention of the public (especially when you are approached, complimented and asked to be photographed) gives incredible emotions. I was invited to take part in the show by the chairman of the primary organization BRSM of our institute, and I gladly agreed to support the city holiday.

For a freshman of the Minsk State Mechanical and Technological College Alexandra Arkadyeva, this exit was only the second experience in her life.

- My suit and wig cost about 150 BYN. This passion makes you strictly plan the budget, shared the girl. In the show, it is important not only to demonstrate the costume, but also to artistically convey the character and manner of movements of the chosen character. We need to show his image, plasticity and mood, as well as confidently interact with the audience.

And in sports and creativity

At the same time, interactive and sports locations unfolded in the park. Dynamic friendly matches took place on the streetball court: the teams played according to the classic rules of street basketball - 3 × 3 on one ring.

On the streetworkout site, everyone could master basic gymnastic elements, learn how to properly pull up and even try to do a backflip under the supervision of curators.

Workout combines yard culture and gymnastics. Today we have a great opportunity to introduce students of universities and colleges to him, show basic exercises and interest this type of physical activity, said Rodion Fedorovich, curator of the section, a fifth-year student of BNTU.

For those who prefer visual creativity, master classes on step-by-step drawing of Japanese comics (manga) and aquagrims were organized.

- I just moved to Minsk to study, it was only two weeks of September, and I am already involved in a major city event as a master, shared a freshman of the Minsk State College of Light Industry and Design Victoria Cheprasova. - I'm a self-taught artist. Anyone can learn to draw, the main thing is not to be afraid of a clean slate. And if one of the guests of the master class does not immediately succeed, we lift the mood and as a pleasant souvenir draw their portrait right on the spot.

The center of attraction for fans of extreme sports was the skateboard zone. There were open master classes and spectacular fan concerts in four disciplines of street style (street), where riders overcame obstacles that imitate the real urban environment - steps, edges and railings.

Leading skateboarders of the country with experience of successful performances at international competitions, including participants of the acclaimed extreme project, who performed stunts on the roof of the 450-ton BelAZ dump truck, performed at the venue.

The mentor of the site was the founder of the Moscow Skateboarding Museum Gleb Bentsiovsky, who brought a unique exhibition of rare boards to the park.

Skateboarding is perhaps the most mature urban subculture that has existed for more than 75 years, Bentsiovsky said. In Soviet times, we started riding in Lida sneakers, and today the guys have access to first-class equipment, and for their sports success they receive worthy awards. The stunts are evaluated strictly according to international standards: the purity of the landing, the height of the amplitude, the so-called float - continuity and smoothness of the course without loss of speed, as well as the individual style of the rider during execution.

The musical finale of the subcultural marathon was a live open-air concert. On the main stage of the festival, young rap artists and rock bands performed, including Alexandra Ventskus, Over at Sunrise, Almira Salayeva and ARRA singer.

Photo by Sergei Pozhi