The first Vienna Charity Ball with A1 at Kupała Theatre to take place in Minsk on December 14
On December 14, A1 Company and Janka Kupała National Theatre are holding the first Vienna Charity Ball in Minsk in line with the criteria specified by UNESCO. The event will be organized under the patronage of the Austrian Embassy in Belarus.
Vienna Ball with A1 at Kupała Theatre will continue the tradition of the glorious Vienna Balls in many cities of Europe, and Minsk is now going to be one of them. The event will bring back the custom of organizing balls at a place of historical relevance in Minsk and help the city residents to join in the ball-hosting traditions of Vienna.
"It has always been the A1 Company mission to connect people on different levels and in the broadest sense: from purely technical aspects to the active intercultural communication. That is why our partners and we decided to start a tradition of hosting Vienna Charity Balls in Minsk. This is one of the most famous and beautiful symbols of the capital of Austria—the country that is so special to our company as part of the А1 Telekom Austria Group", says Anton Bladik, Deputy General Director for Digital Platforms and Content .
Janka Kupała National Theatre will be the venue of the Ball. It was chosen for a reason: the building that holds the Kupała Theatre today used to host this kind of public events as far back as 130 years ago. Thus, the Vienna Ball with A1 at Kupała Theatre will mark the revival of the ball-hosting traditions in Minsk.
"Kupała Theatre takes great pride in its history as the oldest theatre in Belarus. This year, we are celebrating our 100th season. For the one century anniversary, we are not only reminiscing on old traditions but also bringing one of them back where it belongs with the help of our partners", says Pavel Latushko, the General Director of Janka Kupała National Theatre.
The history of Vienna Balls dates back to at least the middle of the 19th century, when Vienna was the capital of Austrian and then Austro-Hungarian Empire, renowned for the balls arranged at the court of the Habsburg Dynasty. In the modern history, Vienna Balls crowned by the Vienna Opera Ball have been held starting 1956. UNESCO has listed them as non-material legacy and specified the criteria a ball has to meet to be called a Vienna Ball.
"Belarus and Austria are connected through a long and productive relationship in politics, economy, and culture. It is a great pleasure that this partnership goes beyond dry statistics to show through such illustrious events as the forthcoming ball. Belarusians and Austrians share the love of sophisticated dance. The ball-hosting traditions of our countries are a part of the wide and various pan-European culture. I do hope that the Vienna Ball at Kupała Theatre will become a milestone of the Minsk cultural life. The Ball will unite Belarus and Austria and its participants will cherish many joyful moments in their memories. A Ball Night is a graceful partnership of Belarus and Austria in style and sophistication. My objective as the Ambassador of Austria in Minsk is to help the guests have a real feel of the unique atmosphere of the Vienna Ball Season", says Aloisia Wörgetter, the Ambassador of Austria in Belarus.
The Vienna Ball at Kupała Theatre will meet all the UNESCO requirements: the Austrian Embassy in Belarus has engaged some key opinion leaders in making the necessary arrangements. They will offer advice and help with a major task to choose and prepare the debutants— young men and women that will open the program with a large-scale polonaise to honor the tradition of Vienna Balls.
One of the hallmarks of Vienna Balls is the charitable nature of the events. The Vienna Ball at Kupała Theatre will not be an exception either: 50% of proceeds from the ticket sales will go to the SOS Children’s Villages Belarus project that takes care of children who lost the custody of their parents or risk losing it in the light of unfavorable social factors.
Tickets for the Vienna Ball at Kupała Theatre will be available at the beginning of November. For the exact date and other news on the preparation to the ball, please visit www.a1.by, www.kupalauski.by and www.bmeia.gv.
FOR REFERENCE
On SOS Children’s Villages Belarus
SOS Children’s Villages Belarus was established in 1991 as a non-governmental charity organization to resolve social matters in the field of child care. It is a member of the SOS-Kinderdorf International organization operating in 135 countries of the world.
Belarus has established three social and pedagogical schools SOS Children’s Villages in the cities of Mogilev and Maryina Horka, as well as Barauliany village. The first of them, SOS Children’s Village Barauliany, was established in 1995 with the aid of Austrian investors. These villages are created to accommodate orphans in comfortable cottages rather than foster homes. Each child is brought up in an SOS family of 5-7 people under the care of an SOS mother. There are about 30 of such families in Belarus for almost 300 children.
Janka Kupała National Theatre has launched a Kupała Theatre Opens Hearts project as part of its 100th season. About 300 children from SOS Children’s Villages have already attended various plays by the theatre.