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From February 21, 2020, the Book Museum of the National Library of Belarus will hold an exhibition dedicated to the Belarusian Latin alphabet (or Łacinka), which is a special element of our culture.
Belarusian is a great language! Literary masterpieces, a rich scientific heritage and numerous pieces any culture would be proud of were created in Łacinka. A unique feature of the national language practice is the several century-long existence of various graphic systems, including Cyrillic and Latin alphabets. Besides, the Tatars managed to adapt the Arabic alphabet for Belarusian writing. Latin and Cyrillic alphabets are two graphic systems, two faces of our language, the symbol of the duality of living between the West and the East for many years. While the Cyrillic alphabet is well known and widely used today, the Latin seems to be mysterious and unknown.
You can discover the secrets of the Belarusian Łacinka at the Biełaruskaja Łacinka exhibition.
The exhibition presents literary monuments created in Belarusian with the use of the Latin alphabet from the 17th century to the present days:
- Mialeshka's Speech in Old Belorussian from Silva Rerum, a unique manuscript collection of a family chronicles type, compiled by a nobleman of the famous Slizen family.
- The first illegal Belarusian newspaper Mużyckaja Prauda of 1863 by Kastuś Kalinoŭski, the symbol of the fight for freedom and independence.
- Landmark publications of the 19th century by Belarusian writers such as V. Dunin-Marcinkiewicz, F. Bahuševič and others.
- Collections and periodicals of the Belarusian Renaissance at the beginning of the 20th century: books from St. Petersburg and Vilnius publishers, which printed works by Yanka Kupala, Ciotka, Yakub Kolas and others; the legendary newspapers Nasha Dolya, Nasha Niva, etc.
A separate section of the exhibition shows the history of the development of the Latin alphabet and presents Belarusian language primers, anthologies and grammar books by Karuś Kahaniec, Rudolf Abicht, Janka Stankievič, Vaclau Lastouski, Branislaw Tarashkyevich and others.
Today, writers, musicians, Internet users, and manufacturers make use of the Łacinka. Station names are given in Łacinka on the Minsk metro schemes, tourist street maps, signs, and street nameplates. Modern publications and examples of the Latin alphabet use will take a rightful place at the exhibition.
The exhibition will be open daily in the Book Museum until June 30, 2020, except Mondays and public holidays. The end date is subject to change.
The opening hours of the exhibition correspond to the working hours of the Book Museum.
Admission is by a library card or by the Social and Cultural Center ticket.
Phone for inquiries and excursions booking: (8 017) 293 27 22.
Bibliology Research Department
