MINSK, 5 February (BelTA) - Tadeusz Kosciuszko's name is important for Belarus, the United States, Poland and Lithuania, Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei said as he addressed a solemn event on the occasion of the 274th anniversary of the birth of Tadeusz Kosciuszko in Minsk on 4 February, BelTA has learned.
“Our event is dedicated to Tadeusz Kosciuszko, one of the most famous and celebrated natives of Belarus, whose name is important for Belarus, the United States, Poland and, taking into account the historical context, for Lithuania. We are attracted to Kosciuszko by the incredible scope of his personality,” Vladimir Makei said.
Belarus is proud that Kosciuszko's life path began on the land of modern Belarus. That path took him to Warsaw and France and on to America. Kosciuszko's eventful life ended in Switzerland.
“Tadeusz Kosciuszko has left a deep and unforgettable mark wherever he went,” the head of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is convinced.
As Vladimir Makei noted, the merits of Tadeusz Kosciuszko were highly appreciated during his lifetime. He was granted honorary American and French citizenships. He received the Order of Cincinnati, at that time the most prestigious award of the United States, from the hands of the future first U.S. President George Washington. Rzeczpospolita honored him with the Order of Virtuti Militari. He also received generous cash and land gifts, including from the U.S. Congress, the British Parliament, the governments of Sweden and France, and Russian Emperor Paul I.
An admiring Thomas Jefferson, who would become the third American President, wrote of Kosciuszko: “He is the purest son of liberty I have ever known.”
“Tadeusz Kosciuszko, a native of today's Brest region, literally laid the foundation stone for one of the most respected military training institutions - the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. By the way, one of the former students of this academy, U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, visited Belarus the other day to discuss the need to further develop bilateral relations. He also said that everyone at the academy knows the name of Tadeusz Kosciuszko. Today's event is in many ways a bright continuation of this visit,” the minister said.
According to the Belarusian minister of foreign affairs, there are different views on Tadeusz Kosciuszko's activity, which is true about every prominent person in history. “However, despite the ambiguity of the assessment of Tadeusz Kosciuszko's personality, his impact on the course of historical events is unquestionable,” said Vladimir Makei.
In his words, Belarus is not the only place where the memory of the Belarusian native has been eternalized. There are more than 200 monuments to Tadeusz Kosciuszko across the world. 2017 was proclaimed the year of Tadeusz Kosciuszko's memory by the UNESCO Commission.
The minister of foreign affairs also said that Belarus respects the shared history, even if it has controversial pages. There is no need to divide the rights on Koscuiszko's name between Belarus, Lithuania, Poland, the United States or even Switzerland, or France,” the minister said.
The event was organized by the embassies of Poland and the United States. Attending the event were the heads of the diplomatic missions of Poland and the United States, and also Lithuania's Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevicius who was on a visit to Minsk.
Video addresses were also offered by U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and Poland's Minister of Foreign Affairs Jacek Czaputowicz who emphasized the significance of Tadeusz Kosciuszko's role in the history of many countries.
