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An exhibition "The First Belarusian" dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Belarusian State University is on show on the third floor of the circular corridor from October 20.
One of the largest cultural, educational, academic, and technological centres of the country celebrates a great anniversary this year. 100 years ago, on 30 October 1921, the Belarusian State University (BSU) opened its doors to its first students.
The foundation of a university in Belarus was a major national event of the twentieth century. In 1930–1932, on the basis of its departments Minsk Medical Institute, Minsk Pedagogical Institute, Belarusian Institute of National Economy, Minsk Law Institute and a number of higher educational establishments which in 1933 became a part of the Belarusian Polytechnic Institute were established.
By the time the Great Patriotic War broke out over two thousand students were studying at the six departments of the university, and the teaching staff amounted to 150 people.
The exhibition recalls the early "pages of life" of the university: its foundations; first departments; first students; first cohort of university professors; first student newspapers and magazines; the establishment of the BSU scientific society and publishing of the first scientific; first graduates and first postgraduate students. Original archival documents regarding the founding of the university between 1919 and 1921 are on display. Particular attention is drawn to the scholarly works and monographs of the 1st quarter of the twentieth century by the first BSU teaching staff, created for the first students. There are books autographed by teachers V.N. Ivanouski, M.N. Piatukhovich, V.V. Jakunin among them.
A section devoted to the personality and activities of the first rector of BSU, Uladzimir Picheta, who played a defining role in the foundation of the university, also stands out. The legacy of the distinguished historian of Slavic studies includes an author's 1917 monograph, which earned him a master's degree and later a Ph.D. in History, as well as editions with valuable autographs. Publications with an autograph of Picheta and dedications addressed to him by his first graduate students T. I. Zabella, Professor U. M. Ihnatouski, and Director of the BSSR State Library I. B. Simanouski are demonstrated.
The editions marked "Belarusian State and University Library" hint at the common history of the Belarusian State University and the national book treasury, as well as personal documents of the staff of the State Library of the BSSR, graduates of the Belarusian State University.
Anniversary publications of different years dedicated to BSU will also be of interest. These include the contemporary series "Belarusian State University: 100 years for the good of Fatherland" and "Memory and Glory", which, based on original documents, memoirs of contemporaries and other materials, present biographies of those who pioneered, mastered and developed new areas of fundamental and applied scientific knowledge, formed scientific schools.
The exhibition will run until December 23, 2021.
The end date is subject to change.
The opening hours of the exhibition correspond to the library’s opening hours.
Admission is by the library card or by the Social and Cultural Centre ticket.
We invite everyone to check out the exhibition!
Gallery and Exhibition Department
