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A theatrical and musical interactive, a master class on painting objects, a quest, and a presentation of over 60 rare book editions – a gift from the artist's heirs – will take place in Vitebsk on July 7, on the 136th anniversary of Marc Chagall's birth, reported Irina Voronova, director of the Marc Chagall Museum in Vitebsk.

The gift to the museum will be presented at 12:00 PM at the Marc Chagall Art Center. It was sent on June 12 by the artist's granddaughters, Meret and Bella Meyer. The shipment includes over 60 rare book editions from the artist's personal library from his last home in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, near Nice on the French Riviera. It also includes original graphic sheets by Chagall. As noted by the institution, since graphics have their specifics (they cannot be exposed to ultraviolet radiation for more than three months a year), these sheets, like the rest of the institution's collection, will only be included in exhibitions temporarily.

"We have been negotiating with the artist's heirs since the beginning of the year. The last time his granddaughters presented a gift to Vitebsk and the museum was almost 25 years ago, in 1999. We will present this gift on the artist's birthday, and it will remain on display at the Art Center during the "Slavianski Bazaar" festival, and then it will go to the archives for processing and оформление of special documents. After processing, it will be used in the museum's exhibition activities," said Irina Voronova.

The books will become part of the scientific library of the Marc Chagall Museum, which currently holds over 5,000 publications. Some of the gifted copies will be exhibited at temporary exhibitions. In addition, all of them will be available for researchers to work with, as well as other publications from this library.

Other events dedicated to the 136th anniversary of the master's birth will be hosted by the Marc Chagall House-Museum. At 5:00 PM, participants of the celebration will gather at the monument to the artist at the beginning of Pokrovskaya Street to lay flowers or, according to Jewish tradition, pebbles. Then, guests will move to the garden of the house-museum, where a theatrical and musical interactive performance by the ensemble "Nasha Pesnya" and the amateur theater "Menora" awaits them – its artists will present the production "Odessa Courtyard" based on the play by Yevgeny Klemyat.

"Since this year is not an anniversary, we are celebrating it in a family-like manner: those who feel it is necessary to congratulate the artist on his birthday will come," Irina Voronova noted. "We have been cooperating with the Vitebsk Jewish community for several years, and now they have also supported us. This year, there will be a small theatrical performance and musicians, a vocal ensemble from the Jewish community. The literary club 'LitKofeinyk' is also supporting us this year with a program of poems about Vitebsk, the artist himself, and his muse Bella. A master class by Marina Yakovleva (Karman) on painting hearts and a quest through our exhibition will also take place."

On the artist's birthday, both the House-Museum and the Marc Chagall Art Center in Vitebsk will welcome guests free of charge.

"BELTA"