Historical links with Belarus
More and more Belarusians come to stay and work in Vilnius due to the instability in their home country. We offer backing and inspiration to them via reminding important historic and cultural facts that linked our countries. The first uprisings for justice and democracy emerged in the region in XIX c. under the Czarist Russia oppression. The need to defend fairness and human rights arise today in Belarus again.
Our countries experienced the alike fate during the common history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and later under the imperial rule of the Russia. Ruthenians (ancestors of modern Belarusians and Ukrainians) lived in Eastern part of Vilnius since XIII c. One of the most famous Ruthenians of medieval Vilnius was Francisk Skaryna, humanist, physician, and typographer known as the first book printer in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Born in Polotsk, he studied in Krakow, Padua and Prague. In 1522 he opened the first printing house in Vilnius and published “The Little Travel Book” and “Apostol” in 1525.
Belarusians were among the initiators of Filarets’ and Philomaths’ Associations in Vilnius University consolidating the most progressive students. Best known of them were Ignacy Domeyko, Jan Czeczot, Józef Kowalewski, Tomasz Zan. Together with Lithuanians and Poles they took part and led the revolts against cruelty of Russian Empire in 1830–31 and 1863–64. Konstantyn Kalinowski from Grodno (Gardinas) region was one of the commanders of the revolt in 1863-64. He was sentenced to death and secretly buried on Gediminas Hill. After cruel quell of uprisings and sentencing of thousands of their participants economic and cultural life floundered in both countries. During the archaeologic research Kalinowski’s remains were found and identified, then solemnly reinterred in historic Rasos Cemetery in 2019.
Vilnius was the centre of Belarusian national literature at the beginning of 20th c. Here the first Belarusian weekly Nasza Niwa was published in 1906–15, the idea of nationhood for the Belarusians was epitomized by the literary works of Yanka Kupala and Yakub Kolas, historian and politician Vaclau Lastouski, poets Kazimir Svajak and Alaiza Pashkevich (Ciotka). You can see memorial boards for many of these famous people in Vilnius today.
Historic city centre of Vilnius was inscribed into UNESCO World Heritage List because of survived variety of city’s religious, ethnic and cultural heritage, and due to significant long-term influence to the cultural evolution in the region. These phenomena are still alive in modern Vilnius. Therefore Vilnius Old Town Renewal Agency offers lectures and excursions for Belarusian immigrant families aimed to inspire them in this difficult period.