16:25 1.5m-deep synthetic snow for Belarus president

The Minsk Skiing and the Belarusian Skiing festivities scheduled for March 3 will take place in any weather conditions, said Henadz Lipski, the chief of sports and tourism department at the Minsk City Hall.
The 1.5 meter-high synthetic snow has been laid on the skiing routes in Raubichy and on Victors' Avenue in Minsk. The snow will be able to remain there until April.

Over 7000 high-school and college students and viewers are expected to attend. Organizers promise to offer free coffee, tea and an entertainment proram.

The winners will be awarded certificates and prizes. A total of 12,500 people are planned to take part in the two skiing events.