VITEBSK, 5 November (BelTA) – On 12 November Vitebsk will once again turn into the center of Latvian culture, BelTA learnt from the Vitebsk Cultural Center. A new stage in the cultural exchange will be the traditional November Days of Latvia in Vitebsk according to the project LLB-1-072 "Daugavpils and Vitebsk: Cultural Cooperation and Development” of the cross-border cooperation program “Latvia-Lithuania-Belarus”. The project organizers have planned a number of activities. On 12 November, at 13.00 Vitebsk Cultural Center will host a meeting of professionals of Latvia and Belarus who will discuss the current trends in the development in the cultural area, consider possible solutions to existing problems. Specialists from the two countries will share their experiences and answer questions from their colleagues. The professional wind orchestra Daugava (artistic director and conductor Arnold Grinbert) will give a concert “On the banks of the river Daugava-Dvina” in the concert hall Vitebsk on 12 November at 18.00. The festive concert will also feature the popular artist, winner of the Mulyavin prize of the 20th international song contest Vitebsk-2011 Dainis Skutelis, a soloist of Latvian National Opera Ilona Bagele and the amateur dance company Lyavonikha of the Republic of Belarus which will show their best performances, including Belarusian folk dance. The project “Daugavpils and Vitebsk: Cultural Cooperation and Development” envisages joint cultural events: celebrations of the traditional national feasts, Ivan Kupala and Ligo, with the participation of Belarusian and Latvian art collectives; organization of concerts; cultural exchange programs; provision of the honored amateur dance band of Belarus Lyavonikha with Belarusian musical instruments, onstage dresses and accessories; reconstruction of the summer stage of the Soviet Army cultural complex, a subsidiary of the Vitebsk Cultural Center. All the abovementioned will contribute to the main goal of the project: to improve the technical quality of cultural events, including international, aimed at popularization of national cultures, customs and traditions. The project is designed to run in 2012-2013. The budget of the project is ?296,800. Belarus will invest ?109,900, the European Commission ?98,900. This year the Vitebsk dance company Lyavonikha gave a big concert in the Latvian culture center of Daugavpils. Latvian art groups came to Vitebsk to help the locals celebrate the Ivan Kupala Day. The overall strategic goal of the cross-border cooperation program “Latvia-Lithuania-Belarus” implemented within the framework of the European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument is the improvement of the territorial cohesion of the Latvian, Lithuanian and Belarusian frontier regions, ensuring the high level of environment protection, economic and social well-being, and promotion of intercultural dialogue and cultural diversity.

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