MINSK, 24 April (BelTA) –  The Bolshoi Theater of Belarus hosted an evening of Belarusian culture, BelTA learned.

The theater held the event on the night of the national opera The Gray Legend by Dmitry Smolsky. The audience had a chance to take part in workshops on how to put on Namitka [wimple] and tie a Slutsk sash.


Slutsk sashes were an important part of Belarusian culture, said Boris Lazuko, head of the ancient Belarusian culture department of the Center for the Study of Belarusian Culture, Language and Literature at the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. They appeared in the second half of the 18th century. At that time the Radziwills invited the well-known master Jan Madjarski to set up a manufactory in the town of Slutsk. In 1777-1807, the manufactory was run by his son Leon.

“We have two original Slutsk sashes in the museum. Traditionally, they have no front or reverse sides. Each side is front, so the sashes were often worn folded in two. It was important to show the ends of the sashes hanging down. Sashes could be tied on the left and right sides. They were made of natural silk, often with gold or silver threads. Of course, sashes with golden threads were considered the most expensive. The costume was complemented with a saber and headdress,” Boris Lazuko said.  


According to him, sashes held an important place in the traditions of aristocratic culture. They were valuable items and were also an important marker of a man’s wealth and his noble status.

The workshop was followed by a catwalk showcase featuring Belarusian artists Irina Yeromkina, Olga Gaiko, Anton Kravchenko, Sergei Frankovsky, Honored Artist of Belarus Yuri Kovalev, and winner of international contests Marta Danusevich and Andrei Selyutin. 

Photos by Tatiana Matusevich/BelTA

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