From May 22nd to December 31st, a book-illustrative exhibition “The Radziwills. The uncrowned kings of the Grand Duchy” runs in the National Library of Belarus (3rd floor, circular corridor).
The Radziwills noble family is one of the most celebrated families of European aristocracy originating from the antiquity and presently existing. Representatives of the noble family had left their trace in not only Belarusian national culture, but they also went down to the world history.
Adam Maldzis, the known researcher of Belarusian literature and history, has dedicated his book Belarus in a mirror of memoir literature of the ХVIII century tells that the name of Radziwills is first mentioned in chronicles in 1401. Radziwill Ostikovich (? – 1477), the major of Vilna since 1475, is considered as the founder of the noble family. His three sons became founders of the three branches of the Radziwill family. The elder branch, that of Gnyozno-Myadel, had estates in Podlyashye. In 1515 the branch got a prince’s title of the Roman Empire which had been established in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In 1547, this title was conferred on the whole family. The middle branch of Niesvizh-Altyn was divided into three lines: Niesvizh, Kleck and Prussian. The junior branch of Birzha-Dubinkova possessed the Slutsk Princedom and a number of estates.
This year we celebrate a set of anniversary dates: the 500th birth anniversary of Nicolay Radziwill the Black, the 240th birth anniversary of Anthony Henric, the 175th birth anniversary of Maria Dorota de Castellane, the 310th birth anniversary of Ursula Radziwill and the 275th anniversary of her theater.
The exposition “The Radziwills. The uncrowned kings of the Grand Duchy” presents over 300 reference, scientific and scientific-popular editions and fiction including books, magazines, electronic editions and graphic material.
The genealogy of the celebrated family is presented at the exhibition: “Genealogical tables of old Belarusian noble families of the ХII–ХVIII centuries” by V. Nosevich, “Radziwillowie herbu Traby” by S. Garzhinsky, “Protoplaści książąt Radziwiłłów: dzieje mitu i meandry historiografii” by M. Antonevich etc. Many books feature genealogic tables of the well-known family. Editions with portraits of representatives of the family are also on display.
The Radziwills could afford even a greater luxury than kings of the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania. In the ХVI–XVIII centuries they owned numerous manufactories where tapestries, ceramics, glassware, art fabrics and the Slutsk belts known all over the world were made. Their theaters, ballet and choir were known in Europe of the time. The Radziwills’ printing houses published books on many fields of knowledge in Belarusian, Polish, German, French languages and in Latin, and their private library and archive are among most valuable historical treasures.
Four books from the catalog “The Radziwills’ library of the Niesvizh entailed estate” include the most complete description of editions of the XVII century from the Niesvizh book collections which are actually kept in the Central Scientific Library of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. “The catalog of the Slutsk belts exhibition” prepared and published by the Belarusian State Museum in 1927 along with modern illustrated editions about the Radziwills’ heritage are also on display.
From April 16th, the exhibition “The Radziwills and the book” dedicated to the outstanding representatives of this celebrated noble family runs in the book Museum.
Contact telephone: (+375 17) 293 28 33.
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