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07 October 2019, 15:56

Brest History Museum plans to showcase Radziwill Bible in 2020

BREST, 7 October (BelTA) - Brest History Museum plans to display the unique Bible of Brest, or the so-called Radziwill Bible, in 2020, the museum's director Svetlana Tomchuk told BelTA on the sidelines of the 4th edition of the Museums of Belarus national forum hosted by Brest on 4-6 October.

Aleksandr Lukashenko presented the bible to Brest on 6 September as the city celebrated its millennium birthday. This bible was printed in the Brest printing house in 1563 on the initiative and at the expense of Duke Nikolai Radziwill the Black. The bible retains two engraved front pages for the Old and New Testaments. The book is illustrated with numerous engravings, capital letters.

“For the time being we are keeping the Bible in a steel safe. In the near future we will order a special showcase with temperature and humidity controls. I think that in early 2020, residents and visitors of our city will be able to see the unique book, which is considered one of the most complete and best preserved copies of the Bible of Brest,” Svetlana Tomchuk said.

The Bible of Brest is believed to be the largest printed edition of the Great Duchy of Lithuania of the 17th-18th centuries, a masterpiece of printing art of the Renaissance period. Specialists believe that no more than 500 copies of the book were published. After Nikolai Radziwill the Black died, his son, who was a fervent Catholic, ordered the book published by his father burnt.

Brest History Museum holds more than 4,000 exhibits. Its area is only 200 m2 but may be increased soon. “Nearby our museum is the historic building that used to house a court. Preparatory work is underway to transfer the building into the ownership of the city's culture department which will make a decision on its future use,” Svetlana Tomchuk noted.

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