The Belarusian State Philharmonic was founded on 25 April 1937. It featured a symphony orchestra, a Belarusian folk instruments ensemble, a
dance ensemble, and a choir. A 930-seat concert hall on
Yakub Kolas Square opened its doors in April 1963. In 2004–2005, the hall underwent renovation. Nowadays, the Philharmonic houses the Great Hall, with 688 seats, and the Small Hall named after R. Shirma, with 200 seats. On 13 August 2020, following
the 2020 presidential election and the brutal crackdown during anti-government rallies by riot police, the Philharmonic employees joined the protests with posters
My Voice Was Stolen and a performance of the iconic song
Mighty God by
Gregory Shirma Choir . The Philharmonic continued the protests by singing
Kupalinka,
Pahonia by M. Bogdanovich,
Break the Prison Walls, and other songs around Minsk: on Yakub Kolas Square, in front of
Minsk Tractor Works, at the indoor pavilion of
Komarovsky market, at Kupalovskaya metro station, and in the atriums of Capital and Gallery shopping centers. == List of Departments ==