Events

3 Sep 2009

Belarusian Written Language Day

The Belarusian Written Language Day is marked in order to popularize achievements of the domestic literature culture, preserve the succession of spiritual traditions of Belarus. The celebration provides a unique opportunity to get familiar with the living language, people who participate in creating books, newspapers, and magazines.

It is no accident that the Belarusian Written Language Day is held at the beginning of a new academic year. Education, information, and culture are the three branches that shape the intellectual elite of a nation, its present and the future. On this day we pay the tribute to our ancestors, who have created the foundation of the Belarusian education and the written language.

The celebration is traditionally held in towns, which are historical centers of culture, science, literature and book printing. The first holiday took place in Polotsk in 1994. In the years later the Belarusian Written Language Day was marked in Turov, Novogrudok, Nesvizh, Orsha, Pinsk, Zaslavl, Mstislavl, Mir, Kamenets, Postavy, Shklov, and Borisov. This year it will be held in the town of Smorgon, Grodno oblast.

Famous Belarusian poet, writer, publicist and translator Frantishek Bogushevich lived for some time in the present Smorgon region. In 1898 the originator of the Belarusian literature settled down in the estate Kushlyany where his literature and memorial museum has been created.

Traditionally every written language day leaves tokens of respect for the people whose service to the Fatherland has left marks in the nation’s memory. This year a monument to Frantishek Bogushevich will be opened in the center of Smorgon.

On 6 September the Belarusian Written Language Day will be opened by a Divine Liturgy in the Transfiguration Church. The main events will take place in the central square of the town and in the summer amphitheatre of the town park during the day.

A festival of books and mass media will take place in the town park. Several book exhibitions will be available. A holiday of children’s books and mass media as well as a concert of spiritual music will be held.

In the evening of 6 September the central stage will host the solemn closing ceremony of the Belarusian Written Language Day, the transfer of the symbolic pennant to the new capital city of the future holiday — the town of Khoiniki, Gomel oblast. Visitors will be treated to a concert featuring famous music bands of Belarus.

Since its inception the Belarusian Written Language Day has become a genuine national holiday, a major event in the country’s cultural life. The celebrations are held not only in the host city but the entire country. Those are thematic lessons, lectures, seminars, meetings with scientists, writers, and people of culture.

Every year top officials of Belarus, people of literature, culture, science, art as well as reporters, representatives of accredited diplomatic missions, foreign delegations take part in celebrations of the Belarusian Written Language Day.

Belarusian Written Language Day celebrations in small towns contribute to building up their infrastructure, development of tourism in provinces, introduce Belarusians and foreign guests to material and spiritual monuments of Belarus.

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