When the city sings together: the festival “Minsk One” ended with a large gala concert

Thousands of Minsk residents, dozens of creative teams and one common stage - a solemn meeting dedicated to the Day of National Unity and a gala concert of the second cultural and patriotic festival "Minsk United" were held in the Minsk City Palace of Culture.

The festival started on March 19. For several months, all districts of the capital presented their concert programs, demonstrating not only creative talents, but also a variety of professions and collectives of the city. The best numbers came to the final, the authors and performers of which were teachers and doctors, workers of industrial enterprises and builders, law enforcement officers, representatives of cultural institutions, youth and schoolchildren.

The concert itself turned into a kind of musical and choreographic talisman of the capital - "Ornament of Unity". His dramaturgy was built around the symbols of traditional Belarusian ornament. “Soul”, “Bagazze”, “Beauty”, “Syam’ya”, “Maladosc”, “Prodki”, “Earth” – each of them became a separate page of a large story about what unites Belarusians. “From time immemorial, we Belarusians have been united by simple human values,” he said.

The symbol "Soul" opened a concert program. In the welcome composition, professional and amateur groups united - the State Academic Dance Ensemble of Belarus, the Rover Ensemble and the show ballet "Feria". And the premiere of “Schyrass Belarusian Souls” brought together teachers, pupils of additional education institutions and the folklore group “Kupalinka” on one stage.

The next symbol - "Bagazze" - told about the man of work. From the stage sounded the composition "Working man" performed by representatives of the largest enterprises of the capital - MZKT, MAZ, Minsk tractor plant, Minsk plant gears, "Keramina". On the screen at this time, shots of Minsk factories, construction sites, city streets were replaced.

It was not just a concert of professional artists. One of the main features of the festival was the participation of Minsk residents themselves – those who work every day at enterprises, treat patients, teach children, ensure the safety of the city. “In a special way, it bribes when our Minsk residents can not only realize themselves in the performance of direct official duties, but also show their creativity and unity through such an original, somewhere amateur culture,” said Vladimir Kukharev, Chairman of the Minsk City Executive Committee.

It is symbolic that there were representatives of completely different professions on the stage. In the “Dedication to doctors” were made by doctors of the capital’s health institutions, the composition “Teacher” was performed by teachers of schools and musical institutions of the city. In the issue “I serve in the police” their creative abilities were demonstrated by employees of the internal affairs bodies – inspectors, cynologists, regulators and soloists of the orchestra of the capital police.

A separate chapter of the concert was dedicated to a Belarusian woman. Under the symbol “Beauty” sounded “Alesya”, “Women of Belarus” and “We are women”. The songs were accompanied by choreography and video footage, telling about the beauty of Belarus and the creative role of women in the life of the country.

Another important symbol was “Syam’ya”. The songs “Own” and “Parent’s House” were dedicated to family values, large families, a small homeland and the place where a person always returns with his heart. “Family is a reliable rear, where you will always be supported with a warm word, shared with you moments of joy and temporary hardships,” the presenters recalled.

The youth part of the concert became a kind of bridge between the present and the future. Under the symbol "Maladosc" sounded "We are Belarusians!" and "Not a step back." On the screen - children's drawings "I love Belarus" and shots from patriotic events of the capital's youth.

Especially piercing was the head of “Prodki”. The memory of the generation of winners united participants of different ages. Representatives of enterprises, educational institutions, the Academy of Management, military-patriotic collectives and youth performed “Victorious” and “Pain of the Earth”. The footage of the military chronicle and the Eternal Flame reminds us that the peace and unity that Belarus is living with today have a high price.

The Chairman of the Minsk City Executive Committee stressed that the Day of National Unity is not only a holiday, but also an important part of the historical memory of the Belarusian people. “This is a holiday that embodies the entire thousand-year history of the Belarusian people, who for many centuries did everything to remain a people, preserve their culture, mentality, language, history,” said Vladimir Kukharev. According to him, the history of Belarus convincingly shows that it was unity that helped the people to overcome the most difficult trials and again embark on the path of creation.

The theme of love for the native land was continued by the symbol “Earth”. Under the panoramic views of the modern capital sounded the composition “Minsk – countrymen”. The city, where representatives of various professions and generations live and work, was the main character of the final part of the program.

The concert ended with the appearance on the screen of a new symbol-amulet - "Minsk One". All the ornamental signs that appeared throughout the evening, like elements of one large pattern, formed into the festival logo. The final song “Belarus Forward!” united all participants of the gala concert on stage. At that time, there were no separate districts, professions or collectives – there was a unified Minsk.

As noted in the Minsk City Executive Committee, the festival is long-term and allows you to reveal the creative potential of teams of all nine districts of the city throughout the year.

The final words of the evening sounded like the main message of the whole festival - "Let us continue to be united, because this is our strength" . The main feeling of the evening is that a big city can be different, but it remains united when it is united by a common history, love of the native land, family, work, memory and the desire to create.

Photo: BELTA