Draft:Cultural Centre "KORPUS"

KORPUS is a cultural center co-founded by Alexander Bogdanov. The center was located at Masherova 9, building 8, in Minsk, Belarus. The center served as a meeting place for various cultural and social events, providing a platform for the self-expression and interaction of creative people. The main goal of KORPUS was to create favorable conditions for the development of Belarusian culture and art, support creative initiatives, and promote constructive dialogue among representatives of the culture and art sector, both within the country and beyond its borders.

History
The KORPUS cultural center was founded on January 19, 2017, with the goal of creating a space for cultural and social events. The co-founder and art director is Alexandr Bogdanov. Since its foundation, the center has undergone several key stages of development, including expanding programs and events, and attracting a wide audience.

An important stage in the history of KORPUS was the arrest of the center's employees. In August 2020, Alexander Bogdanov participated in protests with a DJ setup, playing music for the protesters, naming the action "#музыкаоружие" (#musicweapon). In 2021, Alexander Bogdanov and the center's scenographer, Maxim Kruk, were arrested and spent about 3.5 months in pre-trial detention. After the trial, they were sentenced to three years of "chemistry" (In Belarus, "chemistry" refers to a punishment involving restricted freedom in an open-type correctional facility or at home), but later managed to escape from Belarus to Georgia.

The KORPUS cultural center ceased operations in Minsk in September 2021, promising that the team would continue to engage in Belarusian socio-cultural development, but no longer on the territory of the Republic of Belarus.

Location
The KORPUS cultural center was located in a spacious building at Masherova 9, building 8, which included various facilities for events. One of the key elements of the center was the bar "Two Frogs" which became a popular meeting and communication place but was later closed.

Significant Events and Projects
The KORPUS cultural center hosted both in-house and external events. These included contemporary art exhibitions (Ben Tallon's exhibition, "Miaža," Minsk Photo Month, etc.); concerts of foreign and Belarusian artists (Kassiopeia, Shuma, Deech, etc.); parties, festivals („Белое зеркало“, „Культ личности“, „Можно“, „Электронные забавы“); fairs, flea markets, film screenings (“KinoKORPUS — Outside The Box”, “Short Export – Made in Germany”); educational and lecture programs, public discussions, theatrical performances („Из жизни насекомых“, „ГЭТАМЫ“, „Рэйнеке-Ліс“); presentations of products and projects by KORPUS residents, cultural and social projects aimed at working with the local community. Also 3D KORPUS project provides the opportunity for a virtual tour of the center and familiarization with its spaces and events.