The 5th International Scientific Conference “Simeon of Polotsk: Worldview, Socio-Political and Literary Activities” was held at the National Polotsk Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve, on November 21–22.
The event was timed to the 390th anniversary of the birth of Simeon of Polotsk and the 25th anniversary of the Simeon of Polotsk Museum-Library. The first conference was held in Polotsk in 1999, and since then every five years researchers have been gathering in the museum. This year, researchers and specialists from Belarus, Russia and Latvia took part in the meeting.
During the conference, presentations were made and discussions held on the issues related to the personality of Simeon of Polotsk and his era, cross-cultural communications of East Slavic peoples in the 17th century, confessional processes on the territory of Belarus in the 16th – 18th centuries, the history of Polotsk, as well as preservation, presentation and interpretation of ancient Belarusian books in museums and libraries.
The National Library of Belarus was represented by Tatiana Sapiega, head of section of the Bibliology Research Department. She presented a report on “The Book Culture for Children: the Experience of the National Library of Belarus.”
The conference featured an exhibition displaying the original editions of Simeon of Polotsk, as well as the studies of his legacy and publications about the enlightener’s life and work. The exhibits were provided by the National Polotsk Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve, the National Library of Belarus, and the Yakub Kolas Central Scientific Library of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus.
The most precious are the 17th-centry books from the collections of the Yakub Kolas Central Scientific Library: The Warder of Power (in Russian: Жезл правления) (1667), The Rhyming Pslater (in Russian: Псалтирь в стихах) (1680), The Spiritual Dinner (in Russian: Обед душевный) (1681), The Spiritual Supper (in Russian: Вечеря душевная) (1683).
Bibliology Research Department
