Minsky Listok

“Minsky Listok” was a private social-political and literary newspaper issued 2-3 times a week from 1886 to 1902 in Minsk in the Russian language. It covered the everyday life of the town and events happened in the country and abroad.

In 1886 Mr. I.P. Fatimsky, a notary in Minsk, obtained authorization for publication of the newspaper “Minsky Listok”. It existed 16 years. The editors communicated with the famous researchers of Belarus. The essays on history, ethnography, folklore, language and culture by A. Bogdanovich, M. Dovnar-Zapolsky, N. Yanchuk, A. Slupsky, E. Lyatsky and other researchers appeared in the newspaper. Besides, the newspaper published the works of Belarusian writers and poets in the Belarusian language (Y. Luchina, V. Syrakomlya, K. Kaganets and others). In 1889 “Minsky Listok” first published the anonymous satirical poem “Taras na Parnase” (“Taras on Parnassus”). The periodical also published the works of Russian writers А.P. Chekhov, А.N. Ostrovsky, N.V. Gogol, I.S. Turgenev and others. The newspaper covered the everyday life of Minsk which was at that time the principal town of province. It reported about launching of a telephone network, opening of a horse railroad, activity of various institutions and other events.

From 1886 to 1893 the editors of “Minsky Listok” published four books of a popular scientific supplement “Severo-Zapadny Kalendar” (“The Northwest Calendar”) which included literary works in the Belarusian language, folk sayings, and relevant information and scientific data about Belarus.

The National Library of Belarus holds a set of the newspaper “Minsky Listok” for 1887 (№ 42, 48-54, 56-62) and 1890 (№ 1, 2, 31-34, 36, 41-44, 46, 48-50, 52, 53, 55, 57, 60-65, 77, 78, 80, 81, 83-87, 90, 91, 93, 94, 101-103), and also “Severo-Zapadny Kalendar” for 1888 and 1893.