The beautiful festival city, Vitebsk, Belarus

Vitebsk is one of the oldest cities in the Slavic world, the fourth largest in Belarus, located northeast of the capital Minsk (a driving distance of about 3-4 hours) and serves as the administrative center of the Vitebsk region, which has about 400,000 residents. It is a beautiful city, surrounded by forests and rich in parks, with two rivers flowing through it that are fun to cruise. The highlight of its annual activities is the "Slavianski Bazaar" - an international festival of culture and arts, which has gained recognition and is considered one of the leading festivals of its kind in the world, attracting tourists from around the globe. The city is known as the hometown of Marc Chagall, the famous Jewish painter, who was born Moishe Segal. The sights of the town influenced his paintings, and today there is a museum dedicated to him located in the house where he lived with his parents. The city's residents are very proud of this and even celebrate an annual festival in his honor. So, it was evident that one of the first things I did when I arrived in the city was to visit the museum. I admit I was very moved. I also learned that many famous Jews were born in Vitebsk, such as Sh. Ansky - the author of "The Dybbuk," Isser Harel - head of the Mossad in the 1950s, Miriam Ben-Porat - a Supreme Court judge and state comptroller in the 1990s, and others, so visiting their city and following in their footsteps certainly brought me joy. The modern capital of the ancient region: The official year of Vitebsk's founding is 974, according to the decree of Olga of Kiev. It developed from a port on the banks of the Viteba River (from which its name is derived), flowing into the larger Dvina River, into a large and vibrant city. The river crosses the town between green banks, with colorful tourist boats cruising on it and tall bridges spanning above. Vitebsk is a beautiful and clean city, filled with blooming squares, tree-lined boulevards, impressive sculptures, and charming fountains. There are many churches and cathedrals whose golden spires shine from afar. The city features numerous cultural buildings: theaters, museums and galleries, concert halls, and a beautiful amphitheater. The roads are wide and well-marked, and traffic police ensure order, allowing tourists to feel a sense of personal security. You'll find plenty of parks and green forests for walking and leisure, and the winding streets around the festival center are romantic and filled with souvenir stalls and ethnic displays. During the festival period, the city center bursts with street performances from local and guest groups, and the activities continue late into the night. But even in regular times, you can find an active puppet theater, child-friendly exhibitions in museums, and parks with play areas for children, featuring slides, swings, and more. The "Slavianski Bazaar" international festival: Combine the Eurovision Song Contest, add in the Karmiel Dance Festival, mix in the Israel Festival, and top it off with the Bat Yam Street Theater Festival, and you'll get the international festival, Slavianski Bazaar. In its 28th year, the festival is at its peak, diverse, dazzling, and successful. This festival of arts and music, which has been held since 1992 in Vitebsk, is considered a leader in music, theater, dance, art exhibitions, and various interdisciplinary performances, including street performances, lasting almost a week during July. Although I don’t speak Russian, which is the dominant language at the festival, I managed quite well, because, even if it sounds cliché, art and culture truly are a universal language. This year, around 500 people participated in the festival: singers and musicians, actors and dancers, delegation members, and media representatives, representing about 40 countries from around the globe, including not only Slavic countries but also from South America, England, France, and of course, Israel, in addition to tens of thousands of tourists arriving from all corners of the world for the festival. The President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, annually honors the opening performance of the festival and insists that he views it as "a bridge for peace, sharing, and connection between people and nations." The Jewish and Israeli connection and "Festival without Borders": Before World War II, about half of Vitebsk's population was Jewish, and during the Nazi occupation, the city was largely destroyed, and most of its Jewish residents perished. Since then, the Jewish community has not been restored, although there are currently many of our people living here, including Leonid Bogorad - the festival director and program manager, Arkady Shulman - the festival's communications center manager, and Maestro Mikhail Feinberg - conductor of the presidential philharmonic orchestra. In October 2017, a new synagogue was inaugurated in Vitebsk, built with donations from the Jewish community of Vitebsk abroad, alongside a small hotel and a kosher restaurant. As every year, a distinguished delegation of artists from Israel also attended the festival this time. The delegation is led by the writer and creator Arkadi Kremer, who sees it as his mission to bring an artists' delegation from Israel to the festival year after year, performing in a concert titled "Festival without Borders," which was hosted by the Israeli journalist Ina Shaykhtovitsh. Alon Shoham - the Israeli ambassador to Belarus, makes sure to come from Minsk to Vitebsk every year to attend the Israeli concert during the festival, greeting, hugging, and stirring excitement among the Jewish and Israeli audience members. Tips: How to get to Vitebsk: The Belarusian airline Belavia offers direct flights to Minsk throughout the week, both in the morning and at night. From Minsk to Vitebsk by private car, it's about a 3-4 hour drive (through green forest landscapes). You can also take a train or even a domestic flight. Restaurant, hotel, and shopping prices in the city are reasonable to cheap. Payments are made mainly in Belarusian rubles (even at the duty-free shop in the airport). * The writer was a guest at the festival in Vitebsk, courtesy of the Belarusian Embassy in Israel.