Slavianski Bazaar (Festival) Vitebsk, Belarus: An Excellent Non-Politicised & Non-Woke Soviet Knockoff of Eurovision
Ask anyone where Vitebsk (think Marc Chagal the painter) is or mention the festival name and you have a good chance no one will know either. Of course, if you originate from an ex-Soviet Socialist Republic you may have heard of it. Why has no one heard of it? Western government and media bias I would say. The West only talks negative for general news and especially about “enemy” countries. Ask anyone about Russia and Belarus, and the average person will say the same things with no positivity.
What is Slavianski Bazaar? It was started in 1992, a little after the USSR fell as some sort of Slavic Eurovision. Eurovision is the wrong word since it goes beyond just ex-SSR’s, other ex-commi states and even beyond Europe. It runs for three days but the whole city goes into festival mode for longer. With street art, crafts for sale, food stands, music, choirs, pop concerts, fireworks, military/police demos, commercial exhibits and more with a lot being free. Even the main event is not a rip off like what the West would charge. I paid £40 each for a high-end ticket near the stage for the finale & semi-final.
Is it safe? Yes! Belarus has no terrorism and very low crime, and there are plenty of police patrols. And no, you are not going to be mugged, shot or arrested as many think! Stop believing whatever you are told.
What happens? The other events are separate and not all need a ticket. The actual event is somewhat like Eurovision with different levels and some side acts like Soviet style comedy which I did not go to due to language reasons. Various performers come from all over, like: Belarus, Russia, Croatia, Spain, Italy, Argentina, Kazakhstan, Venezuela, South Africa and more. Unlike Eurovision you will see no political references or certain woke ideologies.
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Belarus’s 3rd of July: A Seriously Cool Retro Knockoff of America’s 4th of July With Sovietesque Military Parade
Ask most people to find Belarus on a map and they will struggle. Ask anyone in the UK about Belarus and the answers will be quite brief & negative. The answers will mainly include it is not safe and it is on the FCDO/State Department naughty list. Try visiting Belarus and others, and your views will change. After visiting 65+ countries, most of which are not typical, many times over I do not believe what I read any more.
What is the 3rd of July? It is referred to as Belarus’s Independence Day which is about expelling the Nazi occupiers in 1944. 2024 was the 80th anniversary so it was quite a big deal.
What happens? I was in Belarus anyway this year and not quite for tourism. Luckily, I was in Minsk for a few days due to bureaucracy reasons and had a bit of spare time outside of hundreds of hours of paperwork to see the 80th anniversary parade which was on a public holiday.
Is it safe to attend? Yes, with plenty of private & government security personnel including searches to gain access to the parade areas. Follow the rules of the land like anywhere and you will be fine.
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