MINSK, 20 January (BelTA) – A solemn ceremony marking the launch of the Cultural Capital of Belarus event will take place in Polotsk on 21 January, BelTA learnt from Svetlana Shitikova, Aide to the Culture Minister of Belarus. The Culture Ministry put forward an initiative to carry out the Cultural Capital of Belarus event to intensify the cooperation with local authorities, develop and enrich the cultural life of regions, support national culture, and attract tourists and public attention. After considering the proposals, the Culture Ministry decided to name Polotsk the Cultural Capital of Belarus of 2010 as the city has been a historical, cultural and spiritual center of Belarus. Being the Cultural Capital, Polotsk will host exhibitions of the best artists of Belarus, the concerts of the leading art groups, performances of the best Belarusian theaters, first nights of the Belarusian films, creative meetings. All these events will mark Polotsk as the cultural capital of 2010. The city has the necessary infrastructure and experience to hold the events. The city fathers and public are also interested in such events. A program of the Cultural Capital of Belarus events for 2010 was adopted at a meeting between Culture Minister of Belarus Pavel Latushko and the authorities of Polotsk and the Vitebsk oblast. The solemn launch ceremony of the Cultural Capital of Belarus will be followed by the performance of the Khoroshki State Dance Company of Belarus at the Polotsk cultural center and the show of the Classic-Avangard company at the St. Sophia Cathedral. The Polotsk Art Gallery will host an exhibition of the lithographic printings by Napoleon Orda. There are also plans to hand over the pieces of art from the National Art Museum and the National Historical museum of Belarus to the Polotsk museums. In 2010 Polotsk will host exhibitions presented by the Belarus National Museum of History, the exhibition of works by famous Belarusian artist Ivan Khrutsky, an exhibition of Frantsysk Skaryna’s books. The National Opera and Ballet Theater of Belarus will present its traditional musical project “Masterpieces of Opera by the Walls of the Ancient Sophia”. Polotsk will host the concerts of the Slavonic Bazaar festival. In the end of 2010, a presentation of Polotsk as a cultural capital of Belarus will take place in Minsk.