Celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Belarusian book-printing was held at the UN Office in Geneva
18.10.2017
Right-to-left: Permanent Representative of Lithuania Andrius Krivas, Permanent Representative of Belarus Yury Ambrazevich, Director of the Library of the UN Office in Geneva Francesco Pisano, Director of the National Library of Belarus Roman Motulski, Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic Jan Kára
On October 18, 2017 in the context of the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Belarusian book-printing a donation ceremony of the facsimile edition of Francysk Skaryna’s books to the Library of the United Nations Office in Geneva took place in the Palais des Nations.
Permanent Representative of Belarus Yury Ambrazevich
At the ceremony the Permanent Representative on Belarus in Geneva Yury Ambrazevich mentioned a symbolic meaning of the books donation to the Library of the UN Office since the ideas of cooperation and spreading of new knowledge, by which the Belarusian first printer was guided, are consonant with the principles of the Organization. “Belarus is proud to celebrate this anniversary together with our close neighbors and all European countries where Francysk Skaryna studied and worked. The heritage of Skaryna demonstrates the unity that our nations once shared. His life is an excellent example of the today’s European identity”, — the Belarusian diplomat underlined.
The Director of the National Library of Belarus Roman Motulski informed the participants of the ceremony on the realization of the project on creation of the unique collection “Book Heritage of Francysk Skaryna”. While handling over the books to the Library of the UN Office in Geneva, he noted the importance of Francysk Skaryna lifework in our days as humanist and educator who aimed to make the printed word accessible to each human being.
Right-to-left: Director of the National Library of Belarus Roman Motulski, Director of the Library of the UN Office in Geneva Francesco Pisano
Together with the representatives of Belarus the Permanent Representatives of Lithuania and Czechia, as well as the Director of the UN Library in Geneva made their welcoming statements.
Within the celebration of the 500th anniversary of Belarusian book-printing at the UN Office in Geneva a round table on the future of libraries in the knowledge societies with participation of the Directors of the National Libraries of Belarus and Lithuania, the Director of the UN Library in Geneva and the representative of the World Summit on the Information Society was held.
Right-to-left: Director of the Library of the UN Office in Geneva Francesco Pisano, Director of the National Library of Lithuania Renaldas Gudauskas, Coordinator of WSIS Implementation of the International Telecommunication Union Gitanjali Sah, Director of the National Library of Belarus Roman Motulski, Interpreter Yury Nikolaichik
The event on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the Belarusian book-printing was attended by diplomatic corps, members of the UN Office in Geneva, and Belarusians of the French speaking part of Switzerland.
