MINSK, 5 October (BelTA) – A pamphlet volume comprising 11 publications of Francysk Skorina’s Bible from the fund of the Upper Lusatian Library of Sciences (Gorlitz, Germany) has gone on display at the National Library of Belarus for the first time. An expo “Francysk Skorina: A Trip to the Motherland” opened at the Belarusian library on 4 October, BelTA has learnt. The exhibition features the works of the first Belarusian printer including those which are absent from the Belarusian collections. Among them is the book Genesis with an engraved front page, four books of the Kingdoms with a well-known portrait of Francysk Skorina. His books from the funds of the National Library of Belarus and publications dedicated to the life and work of the first Belarusian printer are also on display. According to Culture Minister of Belarus Pavel Latushko, the exhibition is the first step to implement an important international project between Belarus and Germany which the two sides have been preparing to for several years. In his words, serious efforts are needed to return home the historical and cultural values which, due to different circumstances, have been taken out of the country. This work, however, is complicated by the legislation of the majority of the countries which does not allow the return of the values to their historical homeland. Hence, the country has to purchase its historical and cultural values back from private collectors abroad, organize exhibitions, or make electronic copies. As for the expo dedicated to Francysk Skorina, the National Library of Belarus has already digitalized the pamphlet volume, Pavel Latushko stressed. Belarus has preserved only 10 books of the Bible made by Francysk Skorina in Prague in 1517-1519. The bulk of the publications (all in all, nearly 360 copies) are kept in the collections outside the country (in the UK, Germany, Denmark, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, Russia, Ukraine). The expo of the first publications in the museum of the book, the National Library of Belarus, will stay open until 13 October. The event is a joint project of the Culture Ministry of Belarus and the Embassy of Germany in Belarus. БЕЛТА
Written by belta.by
