The 2nd European Games will officially begin in the Belarusian capital of Minsk on 21 June. The games will feature some 4,000 of the continent's best athletes from 50 countries, BelTA reports.

Belarus has never hosted such a large-scale sports event before. Viewers from Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America, a total of 500 million worldwide, will tune in to watch competitions in 15 sports.

A spectacular and colorful opening ceremony will give start to the 2nd European Games at 20h00 on 21 June. The ceremony will feature several artistic blocks, each highlighting a particular theme: traditions and legends, medieval Belarus, the country's prominent writers.

The opening ceremony was staged by an international group of experts who took a different look at the historical events through a contemporary lens. Viewers will be able to see the augmented reality effects using the Opening Ceremony AR Minsk 2019 special app.

The European Games opening ceremony will feature Russian opera singer Anna Netrebko and Kazakh pop singer Dimash Kudaibergen.

One of the draws of the opening ceremony will be the lighting of the 2nd European Games cauldron. The Flame of Peace for the 2nd edition of the European Games was lit at the Ara Pacis Museum in Rome on 3 May. The torch relay lasted for 50 days and covered more than 7,000km. On its way to Minsk, the flame was brought to Europe's highest point, Mont Blanc, and travelled through Slovenia, Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland. In Belarus, the torch was carried across Brest Oblast, Grodno Oblast, Vitebsk Oblast, Mogilev Oblast, Gomel Oblast and Minsk Oblast.

The 2nd European Games is a significant sports and cultural event for Belarus. The cultural program of the games will feature more than 50 events, including numerous exhibitions of famous Belarusian artists, music shows and performances in the Upper Town.