Tsikhanouskaya gave Naŭrocki several books in Belarusian. Which ones?
This is one of the Polish president's favorite writers.
Meeting of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Karol Nawrocki. Photo: Tsikhanouskaya's Office
On January 13, a Christmas reception was held at the Belvedere Palace in Warsaw, hosted by the President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki. Representatives of the Belarusian diaspora were traditionally invited. On the same day, Nawrocki met with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. Her advisor, Dzianis Kuchynski, told Nasha Niva about some details.
Tsikhanouskaya and Nawrocki discussed geopolitical issues, support for Belarusians in Poland, and cooperation between the President of Poland and Belarusian democratic forces. They also talked about culture.
One of Nawrocki's favorite writers is Siarhiej Piasecki, who was born in Belarus.
"Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya gave the president Belarusian translations of Piasecki. This is one of his most beloved authors. In particular, she gave him his favorite book 'The Lover of the Great Bear', as well as 'The Minsk Trilogy'," Kuchynski shared. —
The president noted: "In Poland, it is called 'The Thieving Trilogy', but I know perfectly well that most of the events in his books take place in Belarus," and emphasized that this is "an excellent example of how our culture and history are interconnected. And Siarhiej Piasecki is one of the very precise symbols of this common Polish-Belarusian literature and history."
Kuchynski added that during the meeting, they agreed to look for opportunities to translate all of Piasecki's books into Belarusian.
Nawrocki was also interested in theatrical productions based on Piasecki.
"He said that in Poland he had experience working on projects of plays staged based on his books, and asked about Belarusian productions — and whether such works could be shown in Poland to a Belarusian audience. We noted that such experience already exists: for example, 'Notes of a Red Army Officer' was staged by Kupalaucy. And we discussed how to develop similar Piasecki productions in Poland."
They also touched upon the topic of historical memory. "We proposed a concept of what an Institute of National Memory might look like in the Belarusian context, and the president said that in the near future he would introduce us to the leadership of the Institute of National Memory of Poland."
They also discussed possible joint commemorative and cultural events for Belarusians and Poles.