Bright, spectacular and on a large scale

Unity Marathon national campaign will cover all of Belarus, Molodechno being the first location 

On National Unity Day — September 17th — the President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko, when speaking at a solemn event in Minsk, announced the launch of the national socio-cultural campaign Unity Marathon, which will take place across the country and unite various formats of events. “It will be a marathon of the trinity of traditions — national culture, which we cherish and develop, the talents of our people, for which the Belarusian land is renowned, and the beauty of the Slavic soul, which fills the world around us with harmony and mutual understanding,” emphasised the Head of State. The organisers intend to make the campaign truly grand and cover a wide age range of audiences. All the details have been shared at a press conference at the National Press Centre.

‘The President was impressed.’ How the idea of Unity Marathon was born

The upcoming campaign Unity Marathon is the culmination of significant and creative work that has unfolded across the country since the beginning of this year, as noted by Natalya Eismont, the press secretary of the President of Belarus. She recalled that earlier, at the initiative of the Head of State, a national festival Belarus — My Song had taken place in the country. The idea was to provide one of the best venues — the Palace of the Republic — for regional music bands to perform. This was a boost and motivation for them to show their talents on a national scale. “I have heard a lot of feedback about those concerts. Those were very positive reviews. Each concert had a lot of good features. They were all unique,” remarked Natalya Eismont.
The President also watched those concerts that were broadcast on the Belarus 3 channel. The regional music bands managed to showcase their talents, and the press secretary mentioned the feedback from Aleksandr Lukashenko. 

After viewing the concerts, the President was impressed and highlighted specific performances, and the overall high standard of those concerts. “This is how the idea was born to compile the best of those concerts into one large creative project,” shared Natalya Eismont.

“Both the Head of State and all of us, the organisers, have a tremendous desire for this concert — albeit in a transformed, adapted format — to be seen by the entire country. The President frequently emphasises how we should work and how vital each of us is in our role, here and now, today. However, in our lives, there is room not only for work but also for celebration. Therefore, we want upcoming Unity Marathon to reach every region of our country, so that as many people as possible could enjoy it.” 

Which regions will Unity Marathon visit? 

Preparation for the Unity Marathon initiative began on the President’s instructions long before it was officially announced, as clarified by Anna Lukashenko, the head of the working group for the event’s preparation, “For several months, specialists from various sectors contributed their suggestions, and we have been forming the marathon programme. Understanding that unity is a multi-layered concept, we filled the campaign with events that would unite people through culture, education, and common activities. To date, we have finalised the programme of events that will take place at both the national and local levels. A schedule for the campaign has been developed, according to which Unity Marathon in the form of concerts and local events will visit every region of our country.” 
According to Anna Lukashenko, a varying number of towns will be covered depending on the region. As a rule, this is going to be a two-day programme involving not only bands from the capital city but also performers from other regions of the country,  

“Unity Marathon will cover 13 towns, although this list may be expanded. Molodechno will be the first location. The first events will be held there as early as on October 11th. A lively and large-scale concert will mark the culmination of the campaign.”  

All events as part of the campaign will be free, as specified by the head of the working group, “There is not a single event for which ticket sales will take place or where any kind of entry fee will be required. This is a manifestation of care by the state and all government bodies for the people, their leisure, and involvement in the life of the country.” 

Connecting different forms 

Vadim Gigin, General Director of Belarus’ National Library and Chairman of the Board of the national public association Belarusian Society Knowledge, stated, “During the marathon, we want to highlight the main idea — Belarus is a country of opportunities where each person, starting from a young age, can realise their potential. This idea will be reflected through specific stories of people who were born in Belarus, live here, and have achieved significant results in different areas — be it space, literature, or the arts… Moreover, these individuals are not only well-known in their regions but also have made a name for themselves at the national level. Thus, regions boast bloggers with a million followers, excellent teachers, actors, and artists.”  
Vadim Gigin recalled that over the past few years, separate fragments of such a marathon had taken place in our country, such as the Belarus United campaign. As a result, the country became acquainted with lecturers and speakers whom people trust. After all, different forms — musical, theatrical, and lecture formats — can be combined to convey the necessary information. This is what Unity Marathon aims to achieve.
Culture Minister Anatoly Markevich is confident, “We will be able to surprise, because there are many interesting ideas that have not yet been used. The flair of each region will be highlighted during the planned events. We want to involve our renowned compatriots from various regions or localities. Their participation will be vibrant and significant.” 

To the point

The Unity Marathon programme includes not only unique concerts reflecting the distinctiveness of the Belarusian national culture. Various events are planned, including an open drawing competition for primary school students titled We Are Together, a national essay competition on the theme What is Unity, a national project competition My Contribution to the Future of the Country, a series of events in vocational colleges titled NOT Boring, NOT a Lecture, a series of events called Landmark Meeting, the creation of murals, urban quests This is All My Native Place, and more.

By Yelena Basikirskaya, Anastasia Tselyuk