May 26 Slonim once again became a festive venue, hospitably hosted participants and guests of the traditional festival “Polonaise”, which has already become a real calling card of the city.
The grand opening of the event took place in the city park. It was here, on the Opera Street, formerly the famous “Opera House”, or “Manor of the Muses” – the theater of Oginsky.
As history tells, a representative of Oginsky tycoons, an outstanding political and statesman of Rzecz Pospolita, a philanthropist, poet, composer, founder of the traditions of theatrical art in Slonim – Michal Kazimir Oginsky, left a bright, unique trace in the historical chronicle of the city in the second half of the 18th century.
Largely thanks to him, in the last quarter of the 18th century the city acquired the status of the cultural capital of Eastern Europe. At Oginsky time Slonim had been called “Polessky Athens”.
At the court of Michal Kazimir Oginsky, his nephew Mikhail Kleofas Oginsky, the author of the well-known Polonaise “Farewell to the Motherland”, went through the childhood and youth years, works that rightfully entered the world musical culture.
It is pleasant to note that the creative path of genuine love for literature, painting, music, theatrical art, which Michal Kazimir Oginsky began in Slonim almost 250 years ago, continues today. And a vivid confirmation of this is the festival “Polonaise”.
The beginning of today’s holiday was by a theatrical prologue. Oginsky M.K. himself drove up to the central entrance on the carriage. He greeted the guests and read out a greeting to the participants of the festival in the Old Slavonic language.
The grand opening of the festival was attended by the chairman of the Slonim regional executive committee Gennady Boleslavovich Khomich. The head of the district congratulated everyone on the opening of the XIV open regional festival “Polonaise 2018”.
– This festival is a unique project aimed at preserving and multiplying the cultural heritage. The festival is an important and significant event in the cultural and social life not only of the region, but also beyond its borders. During its existence the festival took one of the honorable places among the most significant cultural events held in the Grodno region. Every year the geography of the festival participants is expanding, the number of creative teams from Belarus, Poland, and Lithuania is growing.
The festival “Polonaise” is a festival of music and dance, which unites amateurs and professionals. Each time becomes a real celebration of the art of polonaise, this majestic and simultaneously tremulous genre, which, born in the depths of centuries as an exclusively wedding dance, eventually won many admirers, became an integral part of any national holiday.
Today for the fourteenth time we host the festival “Polonaise”. And I am sure that the atmosphere of the Slonim land will give a special spirit, beauty and unique sound to the classical melodies of the polonaise, which will leave an indelible mark in the memory of all admirers of musical and choreographic art. And it will find a lively response among representatives of different generations, will give us many pleasant and deep impressions, – said Gennady Boleslavovich.
Congratulations were joined also by the chairman of the public union Union of Poles in Belarus Mecheslav Cheslavovich Lysy, deputy head of the main department of ideological work, culture and youth affairs of the Grodno regional executive committee Irina Bronislavovna Stepanenko and the founder of the festival “Polonaise” in Slonim Leonard Iosifovna Revkovskaya.
After the solemn opening, participants and guests of the holiday passed a solemn procession to the Slonim Center of Culture and Recreation, where the competitive program was held.
The Slonim residents greeted the guests of the holiday throughout the procession. Annually participation in the festival “Polonaise” is accepted not only by guests from different regions of Belarus, but also by fans of Oginsky’s works from abroad. This year was no exception. The creative collectives from Poland and Lithuania came to Slonimshchina.
In the contest program, polonaise was performed in various variations: vocal, instrumental, choreographic. Each performance was vivid and memorable. The spectators gladly gave their applause to the speakers. Competent jury said its word on the completion of the festive events.
Solemn events continued again in the city park.
The awarding of laureates became the culmination of the international festival-competition “Polonaise”.
There are three main categories in two age categories in the program of the contest
In the nomination “Vocal-choral genre” among children’s groups the first-degree laureate became the exemplary choir “Zvanochak” of Slonim secondary school No.8. Among the adult groups, the choir of the Polish song of the Slonim Culture and Recreation Center “Kreda” became the laureate of the first degree.
In the nomination “Instrumental genre” the first degree diploma among children’s collectives was won by the piano duo of Slonim Children’s Art School. Among the adult collectives, the first place was taken by the folk string ensemble “Contrasts” of the Children’s School of Arts of Oginsky town of Smorgon.
In the category “Choreographic genre” the first step laureates became the exemplary amateur collective “Kryshtaliki” of the Berezovsky Center of Culture and Recreation and the ensemble of song and dance “Z pad Merachanki” from Lithuania.
Elena LYNKO.