Where to celebrate International Mother Language Day: events in Belarus and abroad
If you needed a push to start speaking Belarusian, here it is. Some events are scheduled directly for February 21st, while others will take place today.
February 21st is International Mother Language Day. The holiday was established by UNESCO in 1999 in memory of the 1952 tragedy in Bangladesh (then part of Pakistan), when students fighting for Bengali to become a state language were killed. The main idea of this day is to protect linguistic diversity and support endangered languages.
Since 2009, UNESCO has included Belarusian in the list of languages threatened with extinction.
From the exposition of the Yanka Kupala State Literary Museum branch in Yahimoushchyna village. Photo by author
Minsk
On February 20th, an all-Belarusian dictation will be held by the Yakub Kolas Institute of Linguistics of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. Offline, it will take place at the Yakub Kolas Central Scientific Library (Surhanava St., 15). You can also join online on the "Kultura" website of Belarusian Radio (radiokultura.by) or on 102.9 FM.
At the Maksim Bahdanovich Literary Museum (Maksim Bahdanovich St., 7a) on February 21st at 4:00 PM, a linguistic and literary quiz will be held. Guests can expect riddles based on Ales Razanau's poems, a phraseological "Crocodile" game, literary "werewolves," rhymes, and a book exchange. Admission is 10 rubles.
On February 22nd at 2:00 PM, the State Museum of the History of Belarusian Literature (Maksim Bahdanovich St., 13) plans a curator's tour of the exhibition "Spring in Autumn" dedicated to the 95th anniversary of Uladzimir Karatkevich. They propose to get a deeper understanding of the native language through literature.
The National Art Museum is hosting events for Mother Language Day all week (detailed schedule here). For example, on February 19th, there will be a lecture "Minsk and Siberian periods of Yan Damel's life and work: new information" (6:00 PM). And on February 21st — a meeting with the curator of the exhibition "Silent before your beauty," Katsiaryna Kaliyankevich, and artist Krystsina Melnik-Subtselnaya, an oil painting master class, and a concert by POLIFONICA men and POLIFONICA kids "Calling Spring." On Sunday, February 22nd at 2:00 PM — a poetic battle by students of the Philological Faculty of Belarusian State University. However, the theme for Mother Language Week is unexpected — "Yesenin VS Mayakovsky" (to mark the closing of the exhibition "Yesenin. Endless Legend").
Brest
On February 21st, at the Brest Puppet Theater (Lenina St., 56), Mother Language Day will be celebrated by performing Belarusian plays "Pilipka and the Witch" and "The Eccentric from Goncharnaya Street."
Grodno
On February 20th from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM, a museum dictation is scheduled at the New Castle (Zamkavaya St., 22, reading room). Admission is free, but prior registration is required: 71-86-88, +375 (29) 776-65-88.
Vitebsk
On February 21st, at the "Vitebsk" concert hall (Frunze Ave., 1), the "E.T.N.O.: Energy of Traditions — Society's Heritage" festival will take place. During it, there will be a dictation "Belarus — Country of Peace," craft master classes, folk dances, the exhibition "Living Threads of Traditions," and even an introduction to the Hindi language. A concert is expected at the end of the program. Tickets — 15 rubles.
Gomel
On February 19th at 6:00 PM, a musical evening will take place at the Museum of the History of Gomel (Hunter's Lodge, Pushkina St., 32). The chamber ensemble of the symphony orchestra will perform works by Ihar Luchanok, Eduard Khanok, Kanstantsin Yel'ski, and Michał Kazimierz Radziwiłł. Unity with the Belarusian language will happen through the language of music.
Vilnius
On February 21st at 5:00 PM, a cultural event with music and poetry is expected at the House of National Communities (Raugyklos g. 25), with participants including Pavel Sevyarynets and the "Oyra" chapel. Admission is free.
Warsaw
On February 22nd from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM, the Belarusian Youth Hub (ul. Dożynkowa 6a) will host a children's festival "Nash Kirmash" (Our Fair) for Mother Language Day. Visitors can expect music, a meeting with writer Andrey Skurko, theatrical readings and a presentation of "Secret Heritage," master classes, and a book fair (Gutenberg, "Yanushkevich," byProsvet, Słowianka). Liavon Volski will also perform.
On February 21st at 4:00 PM, a Belarusian dictation will also take place at the Vyraj store (al. Armii Ludowej 12). The text will be read by Zianon Pazniak, and participants who show the best results will receive prizes.
Krakow
At the Prastora.krk hub (ul. Mikołajska 4/6) on Mother Language Day, a meeting from the "Mova Nanova" courses will take place, including a lecture by Tsikhom Akudovich about the Radziwiłł map of the 17th century, a dictation and language practice, and a raffle for a copy of the map. Admission is by donation.
Wrocław
The Belarusian community of Wrocław is organizing an online essay competition. Themes include "The language of my childhood," "The word that saves me," and others. Winners are chosen by a vote on Instagram.
«Mockery of Uladzimir Syamyonavich's work.» Viewers in shock after Karatkevich premieres at RTBD and Gomel Youth Theater, not all stay until the end44
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