“The Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk is a festival of cultures, traditions, and respect for historical heritage. In the year marking the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory, Belarusian youth proposed launching Youth Day events with a commemorative march as part of the Belarus Remembers campaign. The March of the Victors featured portraits of relatives and loved ones who were wartime heroes and a flower-laying ceremony at  the memorial complex in honor of Soviet soldiers-liberators, partisans and underground fighters of Vitebsk on Victory Square,” emphasized Aleksandr Lukyanov, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Belarusian Republican Youth Union (BRSM) and member of the Council of the Republic of Belarus. “We fully understand our responsibility to the generation of victors. We are deeply moved that hundreds of young people from across the country came to Vitebsk not only to showcase their creativity and talents, but also to pay tribute to the heroes. It is a gesture of respect and recognition that our generation has a special mission: to preserve and enrich the cherished memory of our great-grandfathers.”

As noted by Zhanna Naritsyna, First Secretary of the Vitebsk Oblast Committee of the BRSM, young people remember and take pride in the traditions and culture of their country. “This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. Naturally, the youth could not remain indifferent. It was a great honor for us to walk through the streets of Vitebsk in the March of the Victors, carrying portraits of our ancestors, heroic victors, and thus pay tribute to their memory once again,” she emphasized.

The Youth Day program will continue with the national family marathon Family of the Victor, bringing together young families from across the country. The marathon will feature an open dialogue, where participants will share unique stories about their great-grandfathers: heroes of the war. As part of the Year of Improvement, a meaningful gift from members of the Belarusian Student Brigades to the residents of the festival capital will be the installation of a bust of Leonid Dmitrievich Nikolsky, the founder of the botanical garden and a renowned Belarusian botanist and horticulturist. The first day’s program will conclude with a cover band battle titled “Youth Rhythm”.

The second day of the Youth Day celebrations will start with the Formula of the Future platform. Hosted at the Vitebsk football arena, the event will feature an interactive exhibition showcasing standout youth projects, including regional initiatives, as well as the national project Belarus: Before and After. The day will also include an informal meeting, where participants will engage in open dialogue to discuss state youth policy and raise any questions of interest. At the close of the platform’s activities, an official announcement will be made regarding the start of applications for the fourth season of the national young journalists’ competition Press Code, organized by the Information Ministry and the BRSM.

The main goal of the Youth Day project is to promote the country’s youth movement by supporting talented and gifted young people, including youth subcultures and creative communities, and fostering civic awareness among the younger generation. The event is organized by the BRSM, the Education Ministry, the Vitebsk Oblast Executive Committee, and the Vitebsk Cultural Center (directorate of Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk).

Since 2004, Youth Day at the Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk has brought together hundreds of thousands of young people.

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