Grand opening of II European Games takes place at Dinamo Stadium

The grand opening of the II European Games took place yesterday at the National Olympic Stadium Dinamo. It was broadcast live by the Belarus 1, Belarus 5 TV channels, as well as by the website of Belteleradiocompany tvr.by. Half a thousand artists participated in the colorful concert. Heads of state and government leaders were among the spectators in the stands.

The Dinamo Stadium is the epicenter of the II European Games. Preparation for the ceremony took almost a year. The Dinamo Stadium was retooled into a concert venue. 300 tons of equipment was installed here. The main site is very similar to the symbol of the II European Games - the fern flower. 8 screens bloomed during the show like petals.

The beautiful legend about the fern flower was presented in modern interpretation. The three-hour show revealed a short guide to the history and spiritual traditions of our country for foreign viewers who followed the ceremony in 140 countries on all continents.

The ceremony was produced by award-winning Russian composer Igor Krutoy.

Our culture was presented from the new side with the help of augmented reality technology. Viewers saw on TV screens and smartphones storks flying over the stadium and a herd of ghostly European bisons running through the air.

The most massive stage of the show was the parade of athletes. Spectators welcomed over 4,000 athletes. Each of the 50 participating countries presented itself in alphabetical order. The parade was completed by the country hostess – Belarus. The flag of our country was entrusted to Vladimir Samsonov.

The II European Games were opened by half a thousand artists, mostly Belarusian performers. The Presidential Orchestra of Belarus accompanied the ceremony. Asian Grammy winner Dimash Kudaibergen, as well as People’s Artist of Russia Anna Netrebko with her husband, dramatic tenor Yusif Eyvazov performed at the Dinamo Stadium.

The history of these competitions is just beginning! Being at the origins of the creation of the European Games is an honor for Belarus. President Alexander Lukashenko spoke about this, when addressing the viewers, participants and the multimillion TV audience. The Head of State stressed that such a sports forum is a grandiose project that brings together the best athletes in Europe under one roof. For athletes, this is an opportunity to express themselves and get to know the real Belarus and its people.

The culmination of the show was the completion of the Flame of Peace relay. The fire was delivered to Minsk from Rome by 450 torchbearers. The burning symbol of the forum has traveled 7,700 kilometers. Final meters at the Dinamo Stadium were entrusted to 7 famous Belarusian athletes including Darya Domracheva, Max Mirny, Yulia Nestsiarenka. The Dinamo Stadium bowl was lit for the second time in history.

9 hot competitive days are ahead of us. At various venues, athletes will compete for 199 medals in 15 sports.