The Belarusian democratic forces declare 2022 the Year of Francysk Skaryna. This is affirmed by the Office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, National Anti-Crisis Management (NAM), Belarusian Council for Culture, and Coordination Council (CC).
The democratic forces of Belarus, in partnership with the governments and the Belarusian diaspora of Lithuania, Czechia, Poland, and other European countries, are planning to hold a number of events dedicated to Francysk Skaryna and his historical heritage. Today, on January 20, high Masses in honor of Skaryna were held in Vilnius, Prague, Warsaw, Padua, Minsk, and Polatsk. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya took part in the service in Vilnius.
“In cooperation with the Belarusian Council for Culture, NAM, and CC, we made the decision to declare 2022 the Year of Skaryna. Skaryna is the figure which undoubtedly brings Belarusians together, unites us with our European neighbors, and demonstrates that we have a rich common history and have been essential partners for at least 500 years”, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said.
2022 marks the 500th anniversary of the founding of the first book printing house in Eastern Europe and the publication of the first printed book in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, “The Little Travel Book” (1522). Francysk Skaryna was born in Polatsk. He was a humanist, pioneer of book printing in the Belarusian lands, Belarusian first printer, publisher, writer, and doctor of medicine. Between 1519 and 1521, Skaryna settled in Vilnius, bringing printing equipment and supplies of paper there.
