The holiday, which took place on 2 and 3 September in Polotsk, was in truth the most solemn Belarusian Written Language Day in the history of this annual national holiday.

It combined three remarkable and meaningful dates: the 500th anniversary of the Belarusian and East Slavic book-printing, the 1155th anniversary of the city of Polotsk and the Written Language Day.

The National Library of Belarus had begun preparing for the celebration ahead of everyone. Back in 2013, together with the BelVEB Bank, a project on the facsimile edition of the book heritage of Francysk Skaryna, the famous native of Polotsk, was launched. And, of course, on these festive days the unique multivolume book went to the first printer’s hometown.

On September 2nd, at the Book and Press Festival venue, the director of the National Library of Belarus Roman Motulsky and the deputy chairman of the Board of the BelVEB Bank Sergey Zelenko presented to the Polotsk Central City Library named after Francysk Skaryna the facsimile edition The Book Heritage of Francysk Skaryna (Книжное наследие Франциска Скорины). It should be noted that in a number of publishing projects this one is the most important and significant, as this is a project of national scale.

By the way, other publishing projects of the National Library devoted to the first printer have received wide coverage in Belarus and abroad. On September 3rd, at the Festival venue Lyudmila Gorbacheva , the head of the information and analytical department of the National Library of Belarus, introduced the audience with three publishing projects: the album The Educator from Polotsk: Honoring Francysk Skaryna (Асветнік з Полацка: ушанаванне Францыска Скарыны), the illustrated popular scientific publication Vilna in the Days of Francysk Skaryna (Вільня часоў Францыска Скарыны), and the collection of plays Francysk Skaryna and Present Day (Францыск Скарына і сучаснасць)

On the same day in the Polotsk City Culture Palace Victor Pshybytko, the head of the digital library formation department, presented a virtual resource The Book of Belarus of the 14th–18th Centuries, which provides online access to digital copies of the most valuable early printed publications stored in the National Library.

The thematic book exhibition “Keeping the national book heritage” attracted the audience’s attention as well. Irina Vasilkovich, the head of section of the gallery and exhibition activities department, acquainted visitors with the latest books about Skaryna, the facsimile edition The Book Heritage of Francysk Skaryna and other facsimile reproductions of ancient Belarusian books. The samples of the Belarusian printing, the most characteristic for a certain century, and monuments to Belarusian cultural figures could be seen at the illustrative exhibition "Five centuries of the Belarusian book-printing”.

On the festive days the youngest guests of the Festival enjoyed the Playground, where Tatiana Sapega, the head of section of the bibliology department, conducted classes "Positive from Skorina". At the classes the young attendees learned about the leading figure in the history of the Belarusian book-printing.

Such were the gifts which the National Library of Belarus presented to the festive Polotsk. However, the holiday is going on! We are looking forward to September 5th, all those who wish to join the interactive campaign "Reading Skaryna together”.