Suncestanje Festival in Pruzhany: A Rock Extravaganza Uniting Over 20,000 Fans

While rain and hail swept through Brest and other parts of Belarus, the sun shone brightly in Pruzhany. The reason for this solar joy was the musical mystery that unfolded at the Mukhavets Stadium from June 28 to 30. As the sun blazed in the sky, legendary rock stars lit up the stage at the Suncestanje Festival.

A Lineup Spanning Two Centuries: From the 70s to the 2020s

The headliners at Suncestanje made it one of the brightest musical events of the year in Belarus. The festival managed to bring together rock ‘n’ roll artists beloved by both the Soviet-born generation and the youth of the 2000s. The festival kicked off with guitarist Yuri Meylan, performing under the pseudonym May Lian. Yuri hails from Pruzhany, so his appearance on stage further emphasized that Suncestanje is not just about music but also about the development of Belarusian regions. Ruslan Vasilievich Suprinovich, Deputy Chairman of the Pruzhany District Executive Committee, also spoke about this patriotic focus in comments to the media. For example, the city park was specially reconstructed for events of this level.

The next performers were the Brothers Grimm. Interestingly, on the second day of the festival, another “fairy tale” group appeared—the collective Goffman. If the former was noted for their timeless “Eyelashes,” the latter put on a performance: the group’s leader Oleg Orlov performed in a traditional Indian headdress—a wreath of feathers.

The core of the two festival days was made up of rockers from the 80s and 90s: Gorky Park (golden lineup), SerGa, Chizh & Co, Moral Code; as well as musicians from the same eras who have rebooted in the current century: Valery Kipelov, Vadim Samoilov, Sergei Bobunets, and Andrei Knyazev.

The oldest collective of the festival was the group Black Coffee, which formed back in 1979. The concert program on the first day was closed by the group SUN ROAD-21, and on the second day by the cover band BANDITY.

It was this wide range that allowed the gathering of more than 20,000 spectators at one stadium, which exceeds the entire population of the city of Pruzhany: according to the latest data, about 19,000 people live in Pruzhany.

Belovezhskaya Pushcha from Mazayev and Other Festival Highlights

Another highlight of the festival was the impeccable organization, noted by all the artists. Alexei Belov, one of the founders of Gorky Park, shared that he spent half of his childhood in Belarus: “My relatives live here, and for me, this is my native land. Even as we were driving, we already felt the incredible energy of the festival. Thanks to everyone who organized this. Thanks to the President; without him, this would hardly have been possible.”

Many also noted the neatness and cleanliness of all of Belarus. As Valery Kipelov said: “While I was driving to the morning soundcheck, I did not see a single fallen tree by the road, which shows that you love your Motherland. If only we could teach others to treat their country the same way…”

In addition to the artists and spectators, representatives of the media and bloggers were also very satisfied. A special zone was organized for them at the concert, separate places in the tent town, and press approaches. During one of these, radio host Anton Zhdanov from Stolitsa FM unexpectedly sang the famous “Belovezhskaya Pushcha” together with the leader of the Moral Code group, Sergei Mazayev.

Thanks to the efforts of the city administration, including Mikhail Mikhailovich Grishkevich, Chairman of the Pruzhany District Executive Committee, the media became acquainted with the history and culture of the city. On the first day, a tour of the Pruzhany Kostel “Ascension of the Virgin Mary” was organized, and on the second day, a bus tour of the famous city murals.

If we translate the festival into numbers, then 16 groups participated in the event, which collectively spent seventeen and a half hours on stage. If we also consider the soundchecks, then music at the Mukhavets Stadium sounded for more than a day. Tickets to the festival were bought by 20,077 people. And for two days near the stadium, spectators observed a stork that flew here not so much to hunt in the stream as to listen to quality rock.

Show Must Go On!

After the astronomical solstice, the day begins to wane, so gradually kilowatts of light are replaced by kilowatts of night. This can also describe the emotional state of the festival spectators, who received an incredible charge of joy and energy that will gradually be spent.

However, a complete discharge should not occur. The main thing is to hold out until next year. According to co-organizer, head of the First Production Company, Dmitry Rakusov: “Together with all the organizers, we sincerely believe that the Suncestanje Festival will become an annual traditional event.”

In general, the show will continue, so those who did not make it or could not come this year, be sure to come to Suncestanje-2025!