On 12th April, a book exhibition “The Radzivills’ book heritage” opens in the Nesvizh palace.
90 rare books from the princes’ library will return for a while to the former residence palace of the “uncrowned kings”.
The project is prepared by the Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve “Nesvizh”, the National Library of Belarus and the Central Scientific Library named after Yakub Kolas of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus.
The history of formation of the Library of Nesvizh Ordination dates from the 16th century. Today its incomplete parts are kept in libraries of Russia, Finland, Poland, Lithuania and Belarus.
The exhibition will acquaint visitors with copies of books from the Radzivills’ private collection in Nesvizh, the center of ordination of the Radzivills. At present these books are carefully kept in the stocks of the National Library of Belarus and the Central Scientific Library being a component of the all-European cultural heritage.
In 2009, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) decided to include the Radzivills’ archives and the Nesvizh book collection into the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.
The National Library of Belarus as a keeper of a part of the Radzivills’ documentary heritage has received the certificate signed by the UNESCO Director General.
Within the framework of the realization of the State program “The Culture of Belarus” for 2011–2015, the National Library of Belarus carries out works on research and virtual reconstruction of the unique book collection of the Radzivills. The scientific research “The Library of Nesvizh Ordination of princes Radzivills in the stocks of the Central Scientific Library of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus: studying of structure and scientific description of documents” planned for 2005–2015 is carried out.
During the opening ceremony the presentation of a catalogue “The Radzivills’ Library of Nesvizh Ordination” is to be held. The catalogue includes the complete description of editions of the 17th century from book collections of the Radzivills’ Nesvizh ordination and the stocks of the Central Scientific Library of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus.
