MINSK, 27 August (BelTA) – Plans have been made to return the original Brest Bible, which was published in 1563, to Belarus, BelTA learned from Director General of the insurance company Belneftestrakh Anatoly Chaichits.
The insurance company would like to buy an original from a private collector. “We could buy the bible and gift it to the country within the framework of partnership,” Anatoly Chaichits said. “Once we get the opportunity, we will go through all the procedures and will bring the book back into the country.”
According to Aleksandr Susha, Deputy Director of the National Library of Belarus, the coordinator and the scientific supervisor of the facsimile edition of the famous Brest Bible, dozens of copies of the original Bible still exist. One of the most famous copies is located in Cambridge. It would be impossible to buy a copy using state funding. It is possible to buy a copy from a private collector for a hefty sum of money, Aleksandr Susha noted.
“Negotiations are underway. Let's hope the acquisition will happen and the book will be returned but we cannot be confident right now. The Brest mayor has repeatedly stated interest in getting an original Bible back to the city. We are ready to assist: we've provided our findings and contact details of private owners where the book can be bought. Unfortunately, the price tag is extremely large. Nevertheless, there is still hope,” Aleksandr Susha noted.
No full copy of the Brest Bible exists in Belarus. In particular, the Brest Oblast Library has only a small fragment of it. Three copies are in possession of collectors, but the copies are not full.
The facsimile edition of the Brest Bible of 1563 made by the National Library of Belarus was demonstrated in the House of Press in Minsk on 27 August for the first time ever.
