A presentation and ceremonial donation of the facsimile Book Heritage of Francysk Skaryna to institutions of culture, science and education of Grodno region was held in the E. Karsky Scientific Library in Grodno, on 30 November.
Speaking at the event the director of the National Library of Belarus, R. Motulsky, emphasized that Francysk Skaryna’s translations of the books of the Bible were a unique phenomenon in Belarusian and East Slavic cultures.
The facsimile re-edition of Skaryna’s books is the first project which gathers together all his works printed in Prague and Vilna.
The publication is based on digital copies of the best surviving Skaryna’s books, which are kept in Belarus and other countries. The facsimile is compiled in accordance with the Canon of the Holy Scriptures and in the order in which the printing pioneer placed them.
This large-scale project, timed to the 500th anniversary of Belarusian printing, was launched by the National Library of Belarus and the BelVEB Bank in 2013. Over five years, a professional team of reputable book experts, historians, linguists, literary critics and cultural historians worked on the project’s implementation.
Mr. Motulsky noted that the full translations of Skaryna’s original texts were published for the first time. For a better understanding of the content and significance, each edition is accompanied by scientific comments and explanations. Such an integrated approach allows us to fully demonstrate the richness of the book heritage of the Belarusian printing pioneer and show the wide audience all the diversity of his creative work.
In 2017, the facsimile Book Heritage of Francysk Skaryna has been awarded the Grand Prix in nomination “Triumph” of the prestigious national competition “The Art of the Book.”
The project entitled “The Book Heritage of Francysk Skaryna” has become a breaking event of the cultural life in Belarus, presenting a valuable stratum of our history.
In 2017, in honor of the 500th anniversary of Belarusian book-printing, the facsimile is being donated to Belarusian institutions of culture and education, the biggest world’s libraries and international organizations.
The Book Heritage of Francysk Skaryna has become our trademark, representing Belarus as a country with an ancient history and versatile culture.
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