According to Gleb Lapitsky, the project is designed to last a year and a half to complete in August 2020. The goal of the project is to share knowledge about the traditional culture and folklore of Latvia and Belarus. An interactive center of living history will be set up in Vitebsk and an accordion orchestra cafe in Daugavpils as part of the project. Other plans include infrastructure improvements of the cultural establishments, purchase of new musical instruments, costumes and equipment for artists of both cities, development of concert programs, organization of events, master classes and creation of cultural spaces. The total budget of the project is €315,500, in which €127,500 is the Belarusian share. The first similar project on international assistance was developed by the two culture centers of Vitebsk and Daugavpils in 2012-2013. On 25 September the Vitebsk Culture Center officials met with the new consul, Head of the Latvian Consulate in Vitebsk Sintija Paura. During the meeting the parties discussed a great number of issues related to the joint projects that are already in progress. They also talked over the prospects for cultural events and other plans. “Vitebsk and Vitebsk Culture Center have longstanding friendly relations with Daugavpils, Riga and the Latvian consulate in Vitebsk. We appreciate the contribution of diplomats to the effort to strengthen cultural cooperation as this cooperation results in new creative projects. Thanks to this cooperation we achieved new milestones in attracting more visitors from Latvia to the Slavianski Bazaar festival and organizing selection concerts of the festival in Europe,” Gleb Lapitsky noted.

BelTA.