Additional texts for reading Text 1. Who was Dr. Skaryna?

Read the text with a dictionary and do the exercise that follows it.

In 1990 Belarusians were celebrating the 500^thanniversary of the birth of Doctor Francisak Skaryna, the first translator and publisher of the Bible (1517–1519) in the Belarusian language. The impact of Skaryna’s work has been profound both on the cultural development of Belarus and on the Belarusian patriotic movement in the 20^thcentury.

Belarusian printing owes its beginnings to Dr. Francisak Skaryna, a prominent scholar and humanist. Dr. Skaryna was born in a wealthy merchant family in the old Belarusian city of Polatsk in 1490. After attending local schools he studied at Krakow and other universities. He received his degree in liberal arts, and later, at the University of Padua, he received his degree in medicine. He was a true Renaissance man – his intellectual interests embraced theology, literature, linguistics, poetry, art, law, medicine, botany, and printing.

The most important of his achievements was the translation and publication of the Bible into the Belarusian language, first in Prague in 1517–1519, and later in Vilnya. Skaryna’s Belarusian Bible was the second work printed in a native Slavonic tongue.

Like other translator working elsewhere in Europe at that time, he wanted to “make knowledge available to the people in their own language”. He said, “I  vow it shall become a language of books, and not only of speech”.

Speak on:

– Scaryna’s life and education;

– Scaryna’s contribution to the Belarusian history and culture.

Text 2. Efrosinya Polotskaya Read the text with a dictionary and do the exercises that follow it.

When discussing outstanding people of Belarus, we can’t but mention the name of Efrosinya Polotskaya, a princess, a philosophical and spiritual leader in Polotsk principality in the 12^th century.

She was born in Polotsk into the family of Izyaslavovichy in 1100. She was the granddaughter of the famous Vseslav Charodey. She was a highly educated person of that period. She had a good knowledge of geography, Greek, Latin, mythology and other sciences. She was well aware of both Christian and pagan beliefs. At the age of 12 she refused to marry and entered the Convent as the rest of the members of the family were sent to the Byzantine Empire. First she was a nun and later Mother Superior of the Convent.

She did a lot of charitable work which included opening schools and hospitals. She taught other people, wrote and rewrote books by hand. She founded the Spass-Efrosinya church in Polotsk. On her request in 1161 a famous jeweller Lasar Bogsha created a Cross to symbolize Christianity in Belarus and the unity of the nation. Efrosinya Polotskaya raised her voice against intestine strife which could destroy the state. The Cross was decorated with gold, silver and presious stones. There were icons of saints, the founders of the Christianity, Efrosinya and her parents on it. It became a national sacred thing. Unfortunately, the Cross was taken out of the country during the Great Patriotic War and disappeared.

In 1173 Efrosinya decided to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Some months later she got seriously ill and died. She was buried in Jerusalem. Twelve years later the body was transported to Kiev and then returned to Polotsk to be reburied in Spass-Efrosinya church which she had founded.

Now Efrosinya Polotskaya is considered to be the protectress of Belarus. Paying tribute to her great service to the Motherland, the Belarusians restored the Cross of Efrosinya Polotskaya and placed it in the Spass-Efrosinya church in 1998. It has become one of the sacred things in Belarus.