On October 30, the V.I. Lenin Regional Universal Library in Gomel hosted the International Forum of Dialogue of Libraries and Dialogue of Cultures, dedicated to the 45th anniversary of the library community of Bryansk, Chernigov and Gomel regions.
The forum brought together heads and leading experts of public libraries and cultural institutions of Bryansk (Russia) and Gomel (Belarus) regions to sum up the results of a many-years cooperation and discuss joint plans for the future.
At the opening the forum attendees were welcomed by Tatyana Zabiyako, the leading referent of the main department of ideological work, culture and youth affairs of the Gomel oblast executive committee, and Marina Rafeeva, the director of the V.I. Lenin Regional Universal Library in Gomel.
Director of the National Library of Belarus Roman Motulsky made a report on the Legacy of Skaryna as a Spiritual Bridge Between Slavic Peoples, presented the facsimile edition The Book Heritage of Francis Skaryna and took part in the ceremonial donation of the valuable volumes to the libraries of Gomel Region.
The release in 2017 of the anniversary gift – a single facsimile of the works of the Belarusian first printer – was made possible thanks to the joint efforts of the National Library of Belarus and the BelVEB Bank. Each of the parties made maximum use of its potential and resources, so that in the year of the celebration of the 500th anniversary of Belarusian book-printing, the word and glory of Skaryna sounded not only in his homeland, but also abroad.
The meeting also heard reports from Marina Rafeeva, the director of the V.I. Lenin Regional Universal Library in Gomel, Svetlana Dediulya, the F. Tyutchev Regional Scientific Universal Library in Bryansk, Valery Selitsky, the PhD, Piotr Tsalko, the head of the branch of the Vetka Museum of Old Believers and Belarusian Traditions named after F. Shklyarov, Svetlana Dei-Rachinskaya, the leading librarian of the Slavic Branch Library, Tatyana Poletaeva, the director of the Inter-Settlement Central Library in Klimovo, Yuri Rachinsky, the head of department of the V.I. Lenin Regional Universal Library in Gomel.
Such events not only allow the library professionals to exchange their experience and outline the ways of further cooperation, but also serve the cause of unity of the Slavic peoples, strengthening spiritual and cultural ties.
