II European Games officially open!

Preparations for the ceremony took a few months. The director's team was international. The concert part of the show was performed by Belarusian artists. The history and culture of Belarus took a special place in the script.

The bright and always very emotional episode of the ceremony is a parade of athletes. About four thousand athletes from 50 countries marched through the stadium to an incredible ovation.

A colorful picture in high definition was seen by millions of viewers of the Belarus 1 and Belarus 24 TV channels.

An international television team worked so that all the details of the big holiday could be seen and heard by viewers on all continents. Hosts of Belteleradiocompany went live regularly.

A huge driving force is our volunteers. In total, about a thousand volunteers entered the arena of the Dinamo Stadium.

The heads of state and honored guests watched the ceremony in the VIP box. Many politicians came to cheer for their compatriots. Everyone welcomed the athletes from their country.

Being at the origins of the creation of the European Games is an honor for Belarus. This was emphasized by President Alexander Lukashenko who addressed viewers, participants and a multimillion TV audience. The Head of State notes that such a sports forum is a grandiose project that brings together the best athletes in Europe in one place.

In turn, EOC President Janez Kocijančič began his speech from the podium in the Belarusian language. The stadium immediately responded with stormy applause.

Toward the end of the ceremony, headliners came up to the stage - Anna Netrebko performed to the accompaniment of Igor Krutoy. The Russian composer also acted as the ideological mastermind of the entire ceremony.

In general, in the script, much attention was paid to the history and culture of our country including its outstanding people: Euphrosyne of Polotsk, Francysk Skaryna, the Radziwill family, Marc Chagall, Yanka Kupala, Yakub Kolas. 

The bright ceremony launched the sports festival called the II European Games with its nine days of hot competitions, long-awaited victories and unforgettable emotions that will remind us of the hot June days in Minsk for a long time to come.