Press releases

MINSK, 23 March (BelTA) – The Royal Danish Library gave the National Library of Belarus a digital copy of the first Belarusian Primer which turns 400 years this year, Alexander Susha, the Chairman of the International Association of Belarusian Studies, Deputy Director of the National Library of Belarus, told BelTA.

The high-quality digital copy of the first Primer was the result of the lengthy but successful negotiations. The copy will be available in public access on the website of the Royal Danish Library and will soon be posted on the website of the National Library of Belarus.

The Primer was published in 1618. Only two examples of this unique Primer have survived in the world. One of them is kept in the private Middle Temple Library, the UK. Not much was known until recently about the second one which is kept in the Royal Danish Library.

“I was thrilled to learn that the Primer in Denmark has survived in a very good shape. Back in 2015 I had the opportunity to work with the Primer in London. But, as it turned out, the state of the book in the Royal Danish Library is much better. All prints read well, the paper is less damaged and soiled. Now we have a wonderful opportunity to fully examine this extremely valuable specimen of our culture. Its facsimile edition will come out this year,” Alexander Susha noted.

Thus, the Belarusians have the opportunity to learn how the book that started a new tradition for the world looked like. The first Primer shows how much influence the Belarusian-Lithuanian book tradition had on the entire region: it opened the world of knowledge for children not only in Belarus but also in many countries.