Nationwide Kupala Night Festival (Alexandria Gathers Friends)

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko attended the national Kupala Night Festival (Alexandria Gathers Friends), which took place on the banks of the Dnieper River in the agrotown of Alexandria, Shklov District on 11 July. 

Among the festival’s central themes is the Year of the Belarusian Woman. In addition to artisans from Belarus, the festival features delegations of craftspeople from nearly three dozen regions of Russia. For the first time this year, participants from Chuvashia, Kemerovo Oblast, Rostov Oblast, and Kurgan Oblast are taking part in the celebration on the Dnieper’s banks.

The centerpiece of the festival will be the concert “Alexandria: Love at First Sight.” The event will take the form of a folk show with elements of musical theater and audience interaction, featuring beloved songs about women and love. The concert will conclude with a festive fireworks display and the lighting of the Kupala bonfire. 

“Kupala Night is one of the most folkloric holidays. Rituals, songs, and crafts are the foundation of our cultural code, the key to understanding ourselves. By preserving them, we realize that we are not just people living on the same territory, but a people, a nation. We find answers to important questions: who am I? What lineage do I come from?” said Aleksandr Lukashenko.

The President noted that this theme had been deeply contemplated by the first national poet of Belarus, Ivan Lutsevich, who was born on a magical July night and adopted the symbolic pen name Yanka Kupala. “The Kupala Night celebration is a dialogue through the depths of centuries, a conversation with those who came before us. Those who preserved and passed down to subsequent generations all that is most precious: love for their native land, a striving for peace, spiritual generosity, and a strong work ethic,” he emphasized.

The head of state also noted that the Kupala Night Festival is a family celebration. Many of those who attended the first festivals with their parents have now brought their own children. “I am especially pleased to see young spectators. It is right here in Alexandria that we award the winners of the family project, The Lord of the Village. It is a great joy to see beautiful young couples who have chosen to live and work in the countryside, raise children, and from an early age teach them to work the land. And the state will do everything it can to encourage young people to live in the countryside. Without the village, our Slavic states cannot survive,” Aleksandr Lukashenko concluded.

“We are celebrating Kupala Night in the Year of the Belarusian Woman. It is no coincidence that the festival’s symbol is the Kupala Bereginya. Our ancestors believed that she protects crops and fills herbs with life-giving power, guards the family hearth, and cares for children and mothers,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko.

“I wish that our entire world, as fragile as we see it, be wrapped in her mantle, and that love and prosperity reign in every family. So that a year from now we will meet here again, in Alexandria, and together set out on a new journey into the soul of the Slavic people, a soul that is mysterious, yet always generous, sincere, and merciful,” the President added.

The head of state wished everyone a wonderful evening, pleasant impressions, and the gentle warmth that will sustain them until the next Kupala Night Festival.

“I know that there are Ukrainians here, though not many. To be honest, we would welcome many more. And I am certain that if we do not let this festival fade, before long we will see a great many of our Ukrainians here, and they will be very happy to join us,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko. 

The head of state remarked that this year, delegations from Chuvashia, Kurgan Oblast, Rostov Oblast, and Kemerovo Oblast took part in the festival on the banks of the Dnieper for the first time. “As you can see, 4,000 kilometers or even more is no obstacle when it comes to true friendship,” noted Aleksandr Lukashenko.

“I want to welcome you, dear Russians, to this festival of ours. Thank you for coming,” the Belarusian leader added.

The head of state noted that this year’s Kupala Night Festival in Alexandria is already being held for the 17th time. Yet there is a bittersweet note to it, as another year has passed. Last time, over the course of two days, 115,000 people visited Alexandria. The President is confident that this year even more people will attend the festival in Alexandria, especially since the weather is favorable to participants and guests alike, despite the rains that fell in several regions of Belarus.

“The Lord has given us beautiful weather in between the rains. So the phrase ‘if the weather holds’ no longer applies. The weather will be just fine,” the head of state noted.

This year, delegations from Russia’s Chuvashia, Kurgan Oblast, Rostov Oblast, and Kemerovo Oblast took part in the festival on the banks of the Dnieper for the first time. “As you can see, 4,000 kilometers or even more is no obstacle when it comes to true friendship,” noted Aleksandr Lukashenko.

“I want to welcome you, dear Russians, to this festival of ours. Thank you for coming,” the Belarusian leader added.

The President remarked that there were Ukrainians there, though not many. “To be honest, we would welcome many more. And I am certain that if we keep this festival alive, before long we will see a great many of our Ukrainians here, and they will be very happy to join us,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko.

At the same time, welcoming such a large number of guests, entertaining them, and feeding them is no easy task, as the head of state pointed out. “But the most important thing about this festival is to give these people a feeling of home. I am sure that everyone will leave Alexandria with wonderful impressions. I am deeply grateful to you for your attention and hospitality. The warm welcome that Belarusians extend to our guests here is what inspires people to return again and again. Here in Alexandria, we are glad to see everyone: adults, young people, and children alike,” he assured.