On May 16, we are opening the exhibition “Bagpipes: Instrument, History, Symbol.” This is not merely a collection of musical instruments, but the story of one of the most intriguing cultural paradoxes of Belarus.
The Belarusian bagpipe — an instrument that nearly disappeared from rural life in the mid-20th century — managed to return and become a powerful national symbol.
The exhibition includes:
— living instruments
— sounds of the past and present
— a bagpipe workshop
— historical materials, maps, and archival recordings
The exhibition is presented in three languages: Belarusian, Polish, and English.
Curatorial tours at 18:00 and 20:00 will be led by bagpiper and exhibition author Yauhen Baryshnikau. You will discover how a peasant musical instrument became a national myth, how bagpipes are connected to the creation of the world and the defeat of the Dragon, what Karatkievich and McDonald’s have to do with it, and how to understand when a cultural revival has truly succeeded.
The exhibition opens as part of Warsaw Museum Night — admission is free. We invite you to a Museum Night where Belarus can not only be seen, but also heard.
The project is financed by the City of Warsaw.
