Igor Marzalyuk
MINSK, 8 May (BelTA) – The creator of the Belarusian dictionary, ethnographer and folklorist Ivan Nosovich did the impossible to preserve and bring Belarusian songs, speech, and the language itself to the present day, Igor Marzalyuk, Chairman of the Standing Commission on Education, Culture and Science of the House of Representatives, said in BelTA’s project True History. Lectures by Igor Marzalyuk.
Ivan Nosovich created a unique dictionary of the Belarusian language. According to Igor Marzalyuk, this dictionary has been reprinted and is now available in libraries. “It is a must-read because, in essence, Nosovich achieved far more than he initially set out to do. His dictionary also serves as a guide to linguistic and cultural studies. For every entry, Nosovich sought to include a proverb, a saying, or a particularly expressive Belarusian word. Therefore, reading and studying this dictionary brings to life the daily way of life, folklore, and certain traditions of the Belarusian people – shown in all their beauty, original character, and the unique essence of every dialect word and every Belarusian local vernacular,” the historian said.
“Ivan Nosovich will be remembered forever. His son left a wonderful and touching memoir of his father. Let us listen to the words of his son, Vasily Nosovich. ‘My father spared no expense, traveling to various Belarusian regions that piqued his interest. Having lived among the rural folk since childhood, he was familiar with Belarusian dialects as well as countless songs, proverbs, sayings, and the like. He knew and revered their customs. I remember how, during my holidays in Mstislavl, often during the Dozhinki [harvest festival], the reapers would come to our home carrying wreaths of rye ears and singing traditional harvest songs. Once, such a wreath was even placed upon me, a young master. My father knew not only the lyrics but also the melodies of those songs perfectly, and he loved to sing them. Educated people of Belarusian descent always sympathized with my father’s ethnographic work and assisted him in every way. As for the common folk, they open-heartedly shared the information he sought – whether over a glass of vodka, a cup of tea, or simply out of their personal affection for him,’” Igor Marzalyuk quoted the son of the creator of the Belarusian dictionary.
In 1877, Ivan Nosovich passed away. “He passed away at the age of 88 and was buried in the cemetery of the famous Pustynki Monastery near Mstislavl. The entire clergy of Mstislavl, led by the archimandrite of the monastery, took part in his funeral service. Today, a commemorative plaque on the building of the Mstislavl School of Arts bears a concise inscription, stating that this very building was once the workplace of this great son of the Belarusian people,” the historian said.
“Ivan Nosovich did the impossible to preserve and bring Belarusian songs and the authentic, living Belarusian language to the present day. We must honor the name of the man who saved such a vast wealth of Belarusian words for us, and with them, the full depth of our unique and inimitable Belarusian soul. As the poet Ales Ryazanov wrote: ‘Every nation has at least one genius work, and that work is its language.’ One cannot but agree with this,” Igor Marzalyuk noted. “We remember this great son of the Mogilev and Mstislavl regions, this great son of Belarus. Ivan Nosovich belongs to all of us, regardless of where we live – to everyone who loves Belarus and identifies as Belarusian.”
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