VILNIUS, 4 May (BelTA) – The international exhibition Along Skaryna's Roads marking the 500th anniversary of the Belarusian book printing has opened at the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania in Vilnius, BelTA has learned.
The centerpiece of the exhibition is Francysk Skaryna's Malaya Padarozhnaya Knizhytsa (The Little Travel Book) from Belgazprombank's corporate collection. It is the only copy of the book in Belarus. The Little Travel Book is a collection of 18 small religious books for travelers, including The Psalter, Chasoslovets (Book of Hours), acathistos and canons. The book is decorated with unique engravings, miniatures and initials. Nine of the 18 books that make part of The Little Travel Book have an afterword by Francysk Skaryna.
Belgazprombank CEO Viktor Babariko said that the project fits well in the context of the celebrations of the 500th anniversary of the Belarusian book printing in 2017. “It would be difficult for Belarus and, I think, for Lithuania to find a more glorious man than Francysk Skaryna. The Little Travel Book was the first printed book in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania created by a person from that country,” Viktor Babariko noted. He pointed out that Belgazprombank's project emphasizes the strong links connecting all the European states and highlights the historical unity of the cultures of the countries of Europe. “In the 16th century, one had to be part of the European culture to be considered interesting. Our project will be presented not only in Vilnius, but also in Polotsk, Krakow, Prague, Padua, and probably in Kaliningrad. It will wrap up in autumn in Minsk,” Viktor Babariko said.
The international exhibition has been augmented with Francysk Skaryna's Book of Job printed in Prague in 1517 from the holdings of the National Library. The Book of Job was the second book that Francysk Skaryna printed in Prague. The foreword and afterword are in the Old East Slavic language. Francysk Skaryna translated the main text of the book into the Belarusian variant of Church Slavonic. Today there are 12 copies of the Book of Job in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.
As the project will travel Europe, the host countries will be adding exhibits from their own collections to it. For instance, the Czech Republic will showcase two books by Francysk Skaryna. The international project will be completed with conferences, lectures and meetings. Visitors to the exhibition will be invited to visit Francysk Skaryna's virtual workshop. Besides, the documentary Along Skaryna's Roads will be screened as part of the exhibition.
Director of Belarus' National Library Roman Motulsky emphasized that the current year is special for both Belarus and Lithuania, and for the common culture. “Five hundred years ago our fellow countryman Francysk Skaryna from Polotsk issued our first printed book. In those times, the idea was quite new. Today his activities would probably be called an innovative venture project. He did unusual things breaking norms and traditions. For Belarus, Francysk Skaryna is the pillar of the national culture,” Roman Motulsky stressed. He noted that today there are 520 Francysk Skaryna's books in some 50 countries. Most of them are part of collections in Russia, Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic.
The project Along Skaryna's Roads has been organized by Belgazprombank, the visual and performing arts center ART Corporation, the National Library of Belarus, and the Belarusian Embassy in Lithuania with the participation of the Polotsk National Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve. The exhibition will be on display in Vilnius from 4 May to 4 June.
