This year, the Book Museum of the National Library of Belarus celebrates its 15 anniversary. The official opening took place on September 1, 2006. History of the Museum is the important part of the Library's history. We begin a series of publication-recollections about the Museum from its creators and associate experts.
Recollection No. 1.
Author: Tatsiana Roshchyna,
Honoured Worker of Culture of the Republic of Belarus, worked with the National Library of Belarus in 1970–2016, twenty years (1983-2003) headed the Department of manuscripts, rare books and early printed editions.
Tatsiana Roshchyna at the 15th International Bibliological Readings. The photo was taken in 2019.
In the early 80s of the 20th century, the ideas of creating new museums that would vividly and engagingly depict Belarusian history and culture were voiced. Ihar Zholudzieu, who headed the Rare Book Department of the State Library of the BSSR named after I. V.I. Lenin (now the National Library of Belarus), raised the question of creating a book museum on the basis of the department. On his initiative, the exhibitions "Mikola Husouski and His Time", "Turning Eternal Pages" were organized in a small room, which became a prototype for the future museum.
Tatsiana Roshchyna, Liudmila Stankievich, Halina Kirejeva, Natalja Savierchanka at the exhibition “Turning Eternal Pages”. The photo was taken in the 1980s.
But due to the increase in the number of visits and book distribution in 1987, the exhibition was closed, and the room was converted into a reading room. Nevertheless, the Department continued to work hard to introduce its collections through exhibition projects. Just a few examples: in 1990, on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of Francysk Skaryna, a joint exhibition “Renaissance Art in Belarus” was organized at the State Art Museum (now the National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus), the “Skaryniana” exhibition was held in the Library, and a book by F. Skaryna from the Library collections was presented at "EXPO-2000" in Hannover (Germany).
In 1989, all departments, including the Rare Book Department, were working out concepts for future development. The concept of a book museum in a historic building in Uptown was developed in accordance with it in the 1990s. This building had housed Pushkin Library since 1904 (now it's Internatsijanalnaja Street). The Vankovich House is located next to where the library used to be.
Restoration work of the building on Internatsionalnaya Street, where the Book Museum was to be founded. The photo was taken in 2005.
As the National Library's new building was erected, the Book Museum was opened here in 2006. Currently, the Book Museum impresses visitors with a combination of modern interior and unique monuments of Belarusian and world book culture dating back to the 14th century, examples of beautiful design and allows visitors to learn about the history of books in different times and countries.
Alies Susha, Larysa Shavinskaja, Tatsiana Roshchyna, Jury Labyntsau in the Book Museum. The photo was taken in 2019.
Recollection No. 2.
Author: Tatsiana Sapieha,
has been working with the National Library of Belarus since 1999, including as Head of the Museum Activities Sector from 2007 to 2013, and since 2013 as Head of the Scientific and Project Work Sector of the Bibliology Research Department.
Tatsiana Sapieha. The photo was taken in 2012.
The functioning of book museums was the topic of my dissertation research in the graduate school of the Belarusian State University of Culture and Arts, which, although not defended, certainly contributed to the practical implementation. I took great interest in studying the history of book museums in Europe and the specifics of displaying book monuments. In 2001, I published my first articles "The Book in the Museum as an Object of Perception" in the scientific collection "Zdabytki" and "Christophe Plantin and his Publications: From Antwerp to Minsk" in the journal "Libertarian World". The latter of the above articles wrote: "The National Library of Belarus is currently preparing to open a book museum, which will be based in the Department of Manuscripts, Rare Books and Early Prints in a 19th-century building in the Upper Town of Minsk.". It was indeed planned to accommodate the museum and reading rooms, organize a literary and musical auditorium, as well as meetings of the bibliophile club in the building on Internatsyjanalnaja Street. Restoration works in the building took a decade to complete. Tatsiana Roshchyna, Head of the Department of Manuscripts, Rare Books and Early Printed Books, tirelessly came to the "construction site," supervised the process and planned how the new facility would function. In 2002, plans changed. It is worth noting that it was in the building on Internatsyjanalnaja Street, where the museum was to be founded, that Cafe "Graj" existed in 2016-2020. It is no coincidence that it was in this cafe that book scientists often celebrated book anniversaries unofficially.
Tatsiana Roshchyna in the Cafe "Graj" on Internatsyjanalnaja Street. The photo was taken in 2017.
Following the decision in 2002 to erect a new building for the National Library, efforts were underway to design a book museum. First conceptual designs for the museum were presented in 2002 at international conferences at the University of Vilnius (report "The National Book of Belarus in the Context of World Book Culture: Towards a Book Museum in Minsk") and in Polack (report "To the Definition of the Concept of a Book Museum"), as well as in the scientific journal "Zdabytki" in an article "Preservation and Accessibility of Book Monuments in the Book Museum and in the Library"; in 2003 - at the international seminar in Minsk in the report "Displaying Books in Their Historical Evolution in the Exposition of the Book Museum of the National Library of Belarus," etc. In 2005, we designed the museum space and purchased showcase equipment. Since the end of 2008, I had been heading the museum section for almost five years. During this time, the section organized many interesting exhibitions.
Museum section staff: Tatsiana Shubina, Tatsiana Sapieha, Katsiaryna Palaniejchyk, Halina Lyskaviets. The photo was taken in 2010.
In 2013, I initiated the creation of a new section of scientific-project work and at the same time continued to actively participate in the life of the museum. Scientific and popular science events have become an integral part of the Museum projects. Since 2016, the cultural and educational project "On a Visit to Books" has become an important project for me that significantly changed the museum and helped engage children in the exploration of book heritage.
Museum classes in the framework of the cultural and educational project "On a Visit to Books". The photo was taken in 2019.
Today, the Museum is the pride of the Library; it displays its rich collection of book monuments and tells visitors about the Belarusian book culture in a global context. It is not only a modern exhibition area but also a scientific and educational centre. I am sure that the Book Museum still has great prospects and transformations ahead.
This year, the celebration of the 15th anniversary of the Book Museum began with the competition "Young Belarusian Ex-libris" organized in the Museum on June 1, 2021 You are welcome to see the contest artworks on display in the Book Museum (Room 347).
Book Research Department
