During the main book forum of modern Lithuania, a number of new publications were presented at the stand of Belarus. Many of the publications on display were produced by the National Library of Belarus in cooperation with partner organizations.
On February 23rd, the President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaite participated in the opening ceremony.
The Belarusian stand was dedicated to the 500th anniversary of Belarusian book printing. This date has a symbolic significance not only for Belarus but also for Lithuania, as Francysk Skaryna was a resident of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania where our peoples lived. And he published his first book in the country that is now called Lithuania.
The opening of the Belarusian stand was attended by representatives of the Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in the Republic of Lithuania; Deputy Minister of Information of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Karlyukevich; deputy director of the National Library of Belarus Alexander Susha; corresponding member of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Alexander Lukashanets; Lithuanian writers Yaronimos Lautyus and Vytautas Zheymantas and others.
Especially for the holiday of Francysk Skaryna in Vilnius, the International Association of Belarusianists and the National Library of Belarus with the support of the Lithuanian Embassy in Belarus prepared a unique publication: a beautifully illustrated album Вільня часоў Францыска Скарыны (Vilna in the Epoch of Francysk Skaryna) in Belarusian, Lithuanian and English languages, which tells the story of the former capital of the great country. In Vilnius Skaryna published the first book in the history of Belarusian and Lithuanian lands; here he lived and worked, got married and had children.
Much from Francysk Skaryna’s time remains almost unchanged in Vilnius. This creates a uniquely attractive aura of the ancient town for many Belarusians. For them, such an edition will be a guide to the ancient Vilnius, the old capital of Belarus and Lithuania.
 |
 |
 |
