Just before the 130th anniversary of Maksim Bahdanovich, the opening of the exhibition "Maksim's Library" will take place in the Book Museum on December 7 at 4 p.m.
Possessing a rare and outstanding talent, Maksim Bahdanovich became famous not only as an original and unique wordsmith, an innovator poet, but also as a fine translator, a subtle and thoughtful critic, a profound historian and theorist of literature, a columnist and prose writer. He was also a renowned book lover, systematically studying the publications of the New Belarusian Revival period and amassing a personal library, which unfortunately has not survived.
Based on archival documents, memoirs and letters, researchers have been able to reconstruct the Belarusian part of the poet's personal book collection. The National Library of Belarus and the Maksim Bahdanovich Literary Museum, a branch of the State Museum of the History of Belarusian Literature, are presenting an anniversary exhibition project "Maksim's Library" for the first time. It includes a museum reconstruction of the "belarusika" library of the classic of Belarusian literature and a book and illustration exposition dedicated to the author.
The museum reconstruction of the library will include copies with the poet's autographs, early twentieth-century Belarusian editions from St. Petersburg, Vilnia and Minsk publishing houses, the first Belarusian newspapers and calendars, first editions of the classics of national literature and other valuable materials that could have been kept by Maksim Bahdanovich.
A book and illustration exhibition from the holdings of the National Library of Belarus will introduce the editions of the artist's works, literature on his life and writings, translations and anniversary editions. These include a collection of selected poems Vianok (1913), journalistic pamphlets Brothers Czechs (1914) and Belaruskaje Adradzhennie (Belarusian Renaissance) (1916), editions of the complete poetry collections, the first of which was published in 1927–1928, and translations of Maksim Bahdanovich's poetry into the Slavic, European and Asian languages.
We invite all those interested in the national literary and cultural heritage of Belarusian literature star Maksim Bahdanovich to the exhibition project.
The exhibition will be on display in the Book Museum (room 347) and the 2nd floor circular corridor until 15 January 2022.
The end date is subject to change.
The opening hours of the exhibition correspond to the opening hours of the Book Museum.
Admission is free on the opening day. On other days admission is by the library card or by the Social and Cultural Centre ticket.
For more info: (+375 17) 368 37 37.
Public Relations Department
