Famous Belarusian scientist N. Kasperovich (1900–1937) left a significant mark in the history of the Belarusian culture. He was interested in literature and language, architecture and painting, history and ethnography, but he became most famous as an outstanding local history expert and organizer of the Belarusian local history movement in the first third of the twentieth century.
The scientist was born in the Isabolevo estate of the Igumen district of the Minsk province (now the Pukhovichi district of the Minsk region). After graduating from the Department of Literature and Art of the Minsk Pedagogical Institute in 1921, he worked in state educational institutions. He initiated the creation of the Vitebsk branch of the All-Belarusian Literary Association "Maladnyak" and the Vitebsk Local History Society. In a short time, these organizations, with the active participation of N. Kasperovich, prepared a number of thorough publications, including, for example, collections of scientific papers under the general title "Vitebshchina (Vitebsk Land)."
From 1926 N. Kasperovich worked as Scientific Secretary of the Central Bureau of the Local History at Inbelkult (Institute of the Belarusian Culture) and the secretary of the local history journal “Our Land.” He took part in numerous district, national and all-union meetings and congresses, scientific expeditions, edited local history materials sent from the regions.
The scientific activity of N. Kasperovich was very fruitful. He published more than 230 works, including monographs, articles, reviews, scientific reports on linguistics, the history of Belarusian fine art, theater, literature. The most significant work of the scientist over the decade was the book "The Local History."
Unfortunately, not all scientific papers prepared by N. Kasperovich have been published. The scientist became one of the political victims of the second half of the 1930s. However, what was created and published has not lost its scientific value to this day.
Bibliographic information on the works of N. Kasperovich, as well as biographical materials stored in the collections of the National Library of Belarus are displayed in its electronic catalogue. In the union electronic information resource “National Bibliography of Belarus,” you can find additional information about those publications that are not in the libraries of our country. You can find out more about the life and work of N. Kasperovich in the Belarusian factual database “Belarus in Persons and Events”.
Bibliology Research Department
