The International Arts Festival "Slavianski Bazaar" – what is it? For Vitebsk and the whole country, it is an actively used brand, a landmark event and, perhaps, one of the most famous art projects in the post-Soviet states. Its importance is emphasized by the support in the form of additional "festival" trains, the agreed procedure for visa-free entry to the Republic of Belarus for foreign guests, the growing number of visitors and participants, the festival format updating and the expansion of the program of events.
For residents and guests of Vitebsk, this is a holiday, a special atmosphere of the beloved city during the festival days.
As for the organizers, "Slavianski Bazaar" means daily hard work for them, starting long before the grand opening of the event. Nevertheless, the preparation for the festival is associated with enthusiasm and the desire to give every participant new impressions – from the concert program, plein-airs and open-air vernissages, shows of street artists and musicians, fair events.
One of the traditional and most recognizable events of the festival is the International Universal Fair "Slavianski Kaleidoskop". The fair is organized by the Vitebsk Branch of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The participants are individual entrepreneurs, artisans, private and state enterprises.
Over more than twenty years of its history, "Slavianski Kaleidoskop" has turned from a small exhibition in closed pavilions into the largest open-air international fair of the city on the Dvina. It is only more recently that the fair got its final registration: it was in 2016. The site is located in a park area along Kirova Street, close to the railway and bus stations. The pavilions built along the entire length of the park, attract attention of the city residents and guests, offer acquaintance with the hospitality of the festival Vitebsk and its unique atmosphere.
The total exhibition area of the fair is almost a thousand square meters, which makes the fair one of the largest trading platforms in the city. More than ten thousand people visit it every day.
The fair is known far beyond the borders of the country, applications for participation begin to arrive long before the official announcement of the next festival dates.
When deciding to participate in the fair, exhibitors first of all evaluate the conditions and sites offered by the organizers. According to the established tradition, the fair's points of attraction are the main streets of the city, located close to the venue of the key events of "Slavianski Bazaar".
The "Slavianski Kaleidoskop" participants are offered pre-installed single-style trade pavilions. All pavilions are connected to electricity, equipped with a front wall night shelter system. The video surveillance system and night-time security along the alley significantly increase the safety level, which provides an additional advantage for participants and a sense of comfort for visitors.
The organizers offer assistance to nonresident and foreign participants in providing places in the city's dormitories. In addition, cover letters and document sets are provided upon request for the partial reimbursement of the participation expenses provided for under state export support programs.
When submitting applications for participation in the fair, potential exhibitors attach photos of the proposed range of products to be presented. Preparatory work with the photo portfolio allows to ensure a variety of products, their quality, eliminate duplication of the assortment, as well as to offer a convenient size and type of pavilion depending on the participant's needs and the characteristics of the products.
During the preliminary selection, preference is given to the participants demonstrating unique goods, high quality, as well as a creative approach to presenting their goods and services. Every exponent is offered an opportunity to conduct master classes, which, as a long-term practice of the fair has shown, allow attracting the attention of more visitors and maintaining a high level of the event.
Thanks to the constructive dialogue and the joint work of the organizers and participants, the fair has gained recognition and its unique appearance. Taking into account the activity and keen interest of the exhibitors in the event, in 2023 the Vitebsk Branch decided to increase the number of retail outlets and purchased new retail equipment, which allowed expanding the fair exposition to a new site – along Kirova Street up to the intersection with Ilyinskogo Street.
As a result, more than one hundred exhibitors from all regions of Belarus and eight regions of Russia (Bryansk, Orel, Samara, Moscow, Leningrad, Saratov, Sverdlovsk regions, Krasnodar Krai) took part in the fair this year.
The visitors were presented a variety of light industry products, haberdashery and fur goods, jewelry, natural cosmetics, home decor items, glass and table crystal products, as well as the ones made in the "Gzhel" technique, a wide selection of souvenirs made of wood, a variety of tea compositions, honey and bee products, pastilles and natural oils.
This year, guests of the fair were mostly attracted by the pavilions with bright, unique designer jewelry, as well as the stands decorated with designer floral compositions. By the way, fresh flower compositions were presented at the fair for the first time and, of course, added special charm to the exposition.
According to the results of the survey of visitors, four best exhibitors of the fair were awarded diplomas and got invited to participate in the exposition in 2024 without preliminary competitive selection. It is the first time the Vitebsk Branch of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry offered such an advantage for the most memorable participants, and it will become one of the features of next year's fair.
By the way, it should be noted that in 2024 the fair will celebrate its twenty-fifth anniversary, and the organizers will pleasantly surprise participants and visitors. Readers of "Mercury" can apply for participation today, long before the official call for applications, by clicking on the link that opens by QR code scanning.
The Vitebsk Branch of the BelCCI guarantees all future participants of the fair a special, attractive atmosphere of the festival "Slavianski Kaleidoskop", the attention of thousands of guests.
Foreign Economic Relations Department
of the Vitebsk Branch of the BelCCI:
+375 212 66 24 13;
ved@cci-vitebsk.by.
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