The message reads, in part:
“Your wonderful cultural forum has existed for nearly two decades as a colourful, picturesque celebration of Slavonic arts. In these years, it has significantly increased its range of participants, and has attracted music-lovers from dozens of countries around the world.
The festival’s busy schedule, performances by gifted actors, musicians, and dancers, as well as live communication between individuals create a strong foundation for bringing our peoples closer, and for mutually enriching our cultures.
I am certain that the festival in Vitebsk will once again bring joy through the richness of its concert programmes, and Belarus will be able to discover new talent. I hope that the contacts made here will grow into joint creative projects, and that the Slavianski Bazaar will blossom, as always, with the brightest of colours.”
The festival has been annually held in the Belarusian city of Vitebsk since 1992. Its steering committee includes politicians and cultural figures from three Slavonic nations: Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine. Over the course of the festival’s history, some 65 different countries have been represented in the event.
The festival will be held on July 10–16, 2009.