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On December 26, 2017 was held the ceremony of presenting the collection of the facsimile edition of the Belarusian first printer Francisk Skorina to the of the Elbassy library. The event was organized jointly with the Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in the Republic of Kazakhstan in the framework of the Library’s project «Dialogue through Culture». This event continues a series of events timed to the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Belarus.
The book collections are an important part of the collection of the Elbassy library numbering almost 30 thousand items of storage. N.A. Nazarbayev’s home library was the basis of their. The book fund is constantly updated with publications with donative inscriptions, bibliographic rarities and book rarities.
The deputy director of the Elbassy Library Amerkhan Rakhimzhanov in his welcoming speech noted:
− The 2017 year is full of significant dates. For the first, they were connected with the gaining of Independence by countries that have strong, fraternal ties. Just recently in the building of Museum we opened an exhibition dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Belarus. The facsimile reprint of the book heritage of the Belarusian first printer transferred to our collection is a truly invaluable gift that characterizes the comprehensive cooperation and mutual understanding that has established between our countries and peoples. The recent successful official visit of the Head of State to Belarus confirmed this once again.
The National Library of Belarus is provided the collection of books. In 2017 the Republic of Belarus and the entire world community celebrate a significant date – the 500th anniversary of the Belarusian and East Slavic printing. The anniversary has a special significance in the context of world culture, because it’s included to the UNESCO Calendar of memorable dates.
The preserving of national culture and history noted in his speech the general manager of the Nazarbayev University library Peter Lapo:
− Why the transfer of a facsimile edition of books that saw the light 500 years ago has an important and symbolic meaning precisely at present? Because independence is meaningful only when there is a people, who cherishes their independence and statehood. The people, in turn, are formed by their history and culture, which, first of all, determines the language of the people, its verbal and printed word, its cultural heritage.
The completion of the international scientific publishing project on the facsimile reprint of the book heritage of Francisk Skorina was an important event in the framework of the celebration.
The project was started in 2013, when the National Library of Belarus and the «BelVEB» Bank signed an agreement on the implementation of the program for the facsimile edition of Francisk Skorina’s books. Within five years, the initiators of the project, combining their potential and capabilities, were approaching to the goal – to collect electronic copies of Francisk Skorina’s books scattered all over the world and to recreate them in the form of a multivolume facsimile edition. As a result in this year the multi-volume facsimile appeared in full collection. In one edition was possible to collect and to present a complete set of books printed by Francisk Skorina in Prague in the period 1517-1519 years and Wilna in the period 1522-1525 years.
At present time Belarus which gave to the world the East Slavic printer, has only a few of its publications. In total, about 520 copies of the Belarusian enlightenment publications that are stored in libraries, museums and archives of Great Britain, Germany, Denmark, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, Russia, the USA, Ukraine are preserved in the world. Overall, about 520 copies of publications of the Belarusian enlightener preserved in the world, which are stored in libraries, museums and archives of Great Britain, Germany, Denmark, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, Russia, the USA, Ukraine.
The implementation of the project allowed to conduct a scientific study of the works of the most outstanding representative of the Belorussian Renaissance, the Belarusian and East Slavic printer, to restore the book heritage of F. Skorina to the scientific circulation.
The facsimile edition of books represents to the public a valuable layer of the cultural heritage of the Belarusian people and it is the basic source for historical, philological, cultural and bibliographic studies.
During the recent official visit of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Republic of Belarus was developed the high level of interstate cooperation. This visit has many vectors, including cultural and humanitarian, as evidenced by the ceremony to which representatives of the general public of the capital of Kazakhstan are invited.
