Day of Belarusian Writing

In 2021, Kopyl will be the host town. Therefore, on September 4-5, travelers will be able to celebrate the holiday in this city. This time it also coincides with the Year of National Unity. The winners of the National Literary Prize will be awarded on the Day of Belarusian Writing. Moreover, additional entertainment and educational events will be held.

The preparations are currently under way in the city: murals in honor of Belarusian literary figures are drawn on the buildings, a monument to T. Hartny will be erected, and 17 interactive benches will be installed to tell the guests about the writers and poets born in the Kopyl region. Therefore, you can be sure that the city will have been ready to welcome guests from all the regions of the country by the Day of Belarusian Writing.

But before you leave for the holiday, we suggest you learn or remember how writing was created in the territory of Belarus — it will help you to understand the importance of this holiday.

History of Belarusian Writing

The first Belarusian literary texts date back to the X century. Polatsk and Smalensk used to be the centers of writing, where, in the XII-XIII centuries, local chronicle writing was started. This is how the first autobiographical works — The Life of Euphrosyne of Polatsk and The Life of Abraham of Smalensk — appear.

One of the most important stages in the development of Belarusian writing was the formation of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The Belarusian language became the state language of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the XIV century. The most important Belarusian manuscripts of this period were 1529, 1566, and 1588 Statutes of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

Francysk Skaryna played an important role in the development of Belarusian writing. Francysk Skaryna was a philosopher and doctor of medicine, who published the Book of Psalms, the Book of the Apostles, and many other works. So, his name is closely associated with education and printing. There is a monument to this historical figure near the National Library of the Republic of Belarus; schools and gymnasiums, as well as a Medal and Order are named after him.

At the end of the XVIII century, the first book in the Belarusian language — The Comedy by Marasheusky — was published. And this was the beginning of the activation of creative writing in the Belarusian language, which continued in the 19th century. The Aeneid Turned Inside Out by V. Ravinsky, Taras on Parnassus by K. Veranitsyn, and many other works were published. At the same time, V. Dunin-Martsinkevich began his creative career. Today he is known as the author of the theatrical piece Pinskaja Sliachta, several collections of poems, and many other texts.

An important role in the development of the Belarusian language was also played by the Nasha Niva and Nasha Dolya newspapers. Such famous names as Yanka Kupala, Yakub Kolas, Maksim Bahdanovich, and many others are associated with those newspapers.

The Great Patriotic War had a great impact on Belarusian literature. A lot of books on military topics were published: Disturbing Happiness by I. Shamyakin, Khatyn Story by A. Adamovich, as well as V. Bykov's novels: Sign of Misfortune, Sotnikau, and many others.

As of today, there is the Union of Writers of Belarus, which unites representatives of different literary directions. And since 1994, the Day of Belarusian Writing has been celebrated in our country.

Belarusian literature has faced many obstacles on the way of its development, but nevertheless, many literary works have survived to this day, of which every Belarusian citizen is proud. Today we continue to preserve and enhance the heritage of Belarusian culture, we support new talents and remember the works written by the past generations.