From the Letter to the Word

Temporary exhibition (September 1, 2008 – October 31, 2008)

September 1 is a festival of the beginning of a new school year. “ABC-Book” or “Primer” are the first books to fall into a first-former’s hands. Education and learning of the mother language, nature, and society begin with these books.

At the exhibition “From the Letter to the Word” are displayed originals as well as facsimiles and reprinted publications of Cyrillic printed ABC-books, primers, and books for elementary reading and writing teaching published between the end of the XVI century and the beginning of the XX century.

At the exhibition are displayed the following original publications: “Psaltyr” (Vilno, 1576), primers by V. Burtsov (Moscow, 1634), F. Polikarpov (Moscow, 1701), “Grammar” by M.Smotritsky (Moscow, 1648), “The First Teaching to Adolescents” by F. Prokopovich (Moscow, 1751); a copy of the best illustrated primer of the XVII-th century by K. Istomin (Moscow, 1694). There are displayed as well the following Belarusian incunabula: “Primer” (Vilno, 1767), “ABC-Book” (Suprasl, 1781), “Belarusian Primer” (1906), “The First Reading for Belarusian Children” by Tyotka, the Belarusian poet (1906), “The Second Reading for Belarusian Children" by Y. Kolas, the Belarusian poet, and others.