On November 26, 2015, the Business and Cultural Complex of the Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in the Russian Federation hosted the solemn event dedicated to the 250th birth anniversary of Michal Cleophas Oginski – the composer, diplomat, philanthropist and politician.
At the initiative of Belarus, Lithuania and Poland, the anniversary of the author of the world-known polonaise the Farewell to Homeland was included in the UNESCO calendar 2015. Throughout the year, only in Belarus more than a hundred commemorative events of different kinds have been held: concerts, exhibitions, open airs and scientific conferences.
The National Library of Belarus has contributed to the celebration of the anniversary and the promotion of Michal Cleophas Oginski’s literary heritage by creating the electronic resource In the Service of the Homeland...
Opening the celebrations in Moscow, the Minister-Counselor of the Embassy of Belarus in Russia Jury Jaraševič noted that the creative heritage of Oginski had become common for Belarus and the neighboring countries, that was indicative of the deep European roots of the Belarusian culture.
Head of the Information and Analytical Department of the National Library of Belarus Liudmila Harbačova spoke about the new multimedia project In the Service of the Homeland. The resource includes a large amount of bibliographic and factual information, recording of the composer’s works, digitized copies of his lifetime music publications, the Paris edition of Oginski’s memoirs written in French and translated into Polish from the stock of the National Library of Belarus, and also some archive documents provided by the State Museum of Theatre and musical culture.
In the Marble Hall of the complex guests could view the book exhibition The Epoch of Polonaises from the stock of the National Library of Belarus. The jubilee exhibition presented scientific, popular science and literary publications revealing the main stages of the life and creative activity of Michal Cleophas Oginski, monographs on arts and local history, and also works by known Belarusian and foreign researchers – Ihar Belza, Iwo and Andrzej Zaluski, Petr Staniak, Viktar Skarabahatau, Sviatlena Niemagaj, Siarhej Veremeičyk, Adam Maldzis and others.
The attention of visitors was also attracted by the lifetime edition of Oginski’s memoirs (1827) and their first translation into Russian (2015), the autobiography (published in 2009), the essay by Uladzimir Karatkievič published in the magazine Maladosc’ (1965), and the poem by Alieh Lojka The Farewell to the Homeland (2001).
The multifaceted and fruitful political, cultural and philanthropic activities of Oginski during 20 years he spent at his estate in Zalessie (the Smarhon’ Region) left a significant mark in the national history and culture, and part of the exhibition was devoted to the past and present of the estate.
The evening ended with the unique theatrical performance of the Belarusian State Academy of Music, which had been successfully presented before at venues in Lithuania, Poland and France. The main idea of the project was the reconstruction of various genres of music and scenic atmosphere of the XIX century. Works by the famous composer were performed as the musical accompaniment.
The event was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, representatives of the largest Russian libraries and museums, the leading music theaters in Moscow and cultural centers of different countries, as well as representatives of the Belarusian diaspora.
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