Man who loves his country

Eustachy Tyszkiewicz (1814–1873) is a Belarusian archaeologist, historian, ethnographer, specialist in local lore and museums, co-founder of the Belarusian scientific archeology. He is an honorary member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, member of the Danish Society of Lovers of Northern Antiquities, the Stockholm Royal Academy of Fine Art and Antiques, the London Archaeological Institute. Eustachy Tyszkiewicz was born in Logoisk. He belonged to the famous Tyszkiewicz family who gave the Belarusian land a lot of talented people: government and military officials, judges, priests, writers, architects, etc.

In 1831, Eustachy graduated from high school in Minsk. In 1831–1835, he lived in Moscow. The most part of his life – from 1835 to 1865 – he lived in Vilna. He was interested in archeology, and since 1837 he had been conducting systematic excavations in the provinces of Vilna and Minsk. Archaeological materials which had been found during those excavations allowed him and his brother Konstantin to create the Museum of Antiquities (1842–1855) in Logoisk. In Belarus, this museum was one of the first historical and archaeological museums. Additionally, Eustace Tyshkevich is the author of books and articles on archeology and ethnography. Along with his scientific papers, he wrote several stories.

Eustachy Tyszkiewicz’s most important enterprise was the creation of the Museum of Antiquities in Vilna in 1855, as well as the organization of the Archaeological Commission which he headed. Later, the collection of museum in Vilna was actively replenished with exhibits from different cities of Belarus. Eustachy Tyszkiewicz’s research activities left a significant mark in the development of archeology, ethnography and history of our country.

Eustachy Tyszkiewicz died on 25 August, 1873 in Vilna, and he was buried in the Rasos Cemetery.

The exhibition presents Eustache Tyszkiewicz’s lifetime editions on history, ethnography, archeology, and materials on the activities of the Vilna Museum of Antiquities and the Vilna Archaeological Commission, as well as books with his autographs.