And books celebrate anniversaries too

You can get acquainted with the jubilee books of 2023 from June 16 to December 25 in the ring gallery of the 3rd floor at the exhibition "And books celebrate anniversaries too".

Books, like people, are born and grow old, pass the tests of fate. In the whirlwind of their life, there are painful losses. However, together with the patina of the years they have lived, they acquire value when every label on the page, every speck, every seemingly small thing, such as the number on the title page, becomes a kind of title to their story. Thoroughly studied, they, as if in the light of searchlights, appear before the viewer in the jubilee year.

The books are presented at the exhibition in chronological order: from 500-year-old anniversaries to 50-year-olds. Created by the talent of the author, they are unique in their character, picturesque content, literary form and style. The publications have a different format, illustrated by both outstanding artists and the authors themselves. The heroes of the works of foreign and domestic classics, published in different parts of the world, talk to the reader in different languages.

Among the exhibits is a facsimile of Vladimir Odoevsky's "Motley Fairy Tales" (1833), a perfect example of a chic book edition. Another such example is the catalog of drawings by Antoine de Saint-Exupery for his immortal work "The Little Prince" (2013).

Among the unique ones is the magazine "Repertoire and Pantheon" (1844), on the pages of which the first translation into Russian of Honore de Balzac's novel "Eugene Grande", made by Fyodor Dostoevsky, was printed. The translation was the first publication of the novice writer. It is worth stopping at the rare edition of "The childhood years of Bagrov-grandson" (1858, the first publication), which first included the fairy tale "Scarlet Flower" (1858). In this row is William Thackeray's novel "Vanity Fair", presented in the first editions of 1848. One of them is with a superexlibris and an exlibris on the title, the second is with the surname LWańkowicz on the title, the number and the owner's mark on the title, referring to the library of the Smilovichi line of the Vankovich family in Shipyany.

The real decoration of the exhibition is the publication of fairy tales (1901) by Hans Andersen with illustrations by Hans Tegner, which are considered his greatest artistic achievement. Among those published in it is a fairy tale–hero of the day "The Persistent Tin Soldier". In the victorious 1945, the fairy tale was published in a separate edition, which is also presented at the exhibition.

Special attention should be paid to the sentimental novel "White Nights" by Fyodor Dostoevsky (1848) in the form of a miniature edition (1973) and facsimile (1923) with illustrations by Mstislav Dobuzhinsky. The latter was a continuation of the release of facsimile editions of books by the best artists of the early twentieth century.

Among the special exhibits – the first issue of the magazine "Sovremennik" (1858), on the pages of which Ivan Turgenev's novel "Asya" was first published; "Explanatory Dictionary of the living Great Russian language" – the first volume (1863) of the four-volume edition, for which Vladimir Dahl was awarded the Lomonosov Prize of the Academy of Sciences and awarded the title of honorary academician; The magazine "Russian Thought" (1898, books 7, 8), on the pages of which Anton Chekhov's "Little Trilogy" was first published.

The exhibition presents anniversary editions of Belarusian classics. The first editions of the works of Yanka Kupala: the third collection of poems "Shlyakham zhytsia" (1913), the plays "Paylinka" (1913) and "Raskidanae gnyazdo" (1919). The only lifetime collection of Maxim Bogdanovich's poetry "Vyanok" (1913) deserves special attention.

Publications celebrating the 100th anniversary are of great interest: the poem "New Zyamlya" (1923) by Yakub Kolas, which is rightfully considered the "encyclopedia of the life of the Belarusian peasantry of the late XIX –early XX century"; the collection of poems by Vladimir Dubovka "Stroma" (1923) and the poem by Vladimir Zhilka "Uyaylenne" (1923). A masterpiece of the epic genre, in which the peculiarities of socio-psychological and intellectual-philosophical prose manifested themselves, is the novel "Poshuki Buduchyni" (1943) Kuzma Chorny.

These and many other publications of domestic authors have long been included in the golden fund of Belarusian and Soviet literature, have been awarded honorary prizes and attract the attention of modern readers with their humanistic sound.

The exhibits demonstrate the richness and diversity of the National Library's collection, among them are pictorial documents for jubilee publications, emphasizing their uniqueness and popularity.

The exhibition is addressed to a wide range of readers and library visitors.

The books presented in the exhibition can be ordered through the electronic catalogue of the National Library of Belarus.

The opening hours of the exhibition corresponds to the library’s opening hours
Admittion is by the library ticket or ticket of the library's social and cultural center. 

Phone for inquiries: (+37517) 293 29 80.

The material was provided by the Department of gallery and exhibition activities.