Vitaut avenue instead of Dziarzhynski avenue (photos)

The representatives of the Organizing Committee on the Celebration of the Victory of Grunwald voiced their initiatives at the round-table conference devoted to the role of the Victory of Grunwald in the history of Belarus and of other European countries.

Historians Siarhiey Tarasau, Anatol Taras, artist Mikola Kupava, and the priest of the Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church Father Leanid Akalovich took active part in the event that was held in the office of the Belarusian Popular Front party (BPF) on July 8.

In his speech, Kupava noted that thirty gonfalon banners under which the Belarusian warriors fought on the Grunwald Field have already been researched and restored. They should become our historical and cultural valuable object that should be popularized in art and literature.

Tarasau have mainly agreed with him. He also told about the great scale of the celebration of the Battle of Kulikovo’s anniversary in the BSSR (Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic). According to the historian, every Belarusian periodic publication wrote on this topic back then. However, there is no proper attention on the part of the authorities towards the Battle of Grunwald that has a far greater significance for the history of our country and of the entire Europe.

“The Victory of Grunwald had a great positive influence for the development of our nationhood. The importance of the Victory of Grunwald could be compared only with that of the Victory of Worsha. We should popularize the glorious pages of the Belarusian history. This isn’t so hard. Unfortunately, this is not the state policy yet”, the speaker expressed his regret.

Kupava added that the Belarusian scientists understand the problem, and make considerable efforts to solve it. However, their actions aren’t sufficient:

“Some very good books and monographs on history are issued from time to time. Unfortunately, the state’s support in the popularizing of the historical heritage is very weak”.

Father Akalovich told the journalists about the publications dedicated to the actions of the Organizing Committee on the Celebration of the 600th anniversary of the Victory of Grunwald in the independent press. The speaker read to the participants the appeals to the local authorities with requests to rename the streets of Minsk for the honour of kniaz (king) Vitaut the Great and king Yahayla, and other kniazs, as well as the appeal to the Minister of Culture with the written request to give the status of historical and cultural valuable object to the restored gonfalon banners. Father Akalovich thinks it would have been very natural to rename the today’s Dziarzhynsky avenue into the Vitaut avenue, or to rename the Miasnikovich square or the Yubileynaya square into the Victory of Grunwald square. Father Akalovich also told about the initiative of the monuments’ design competition in the honour of the Victory of Grunwald in Minsk, Vitsiebsk, Mstsislau, and Hrodna.

The round-table conference participants complained about the fact that other nations often get credit for the glory of our Belarusian ancestors owing to the indifference of the Belarusian state to the national history. For the moment, the authorities sometimes agree to name only peripheral streets after the real Belarusian historical figures.

According to Taras, in the discussions with the historians of, for instance, Lithuania, one should rely on German sources since they are more detailed. The historian thinks there is no point in arguing about the historical truth with other countries. We need to advocate our own history – even if it’s somewhat mythological – in Belarus, and should bring up our generation on it. This will change the national consciousness in some 10 years.

“If there is material prosperity without the national and spiritual core, nothing good would happen in a country. Belarus would either become a national state or would disappear completely”, the scientist warns.

According to Taras, we should write and talk, talk and write despite all complexities. First, we should write and talk at the level of enthusiasts, and afterwards the state will join. The neglected information won’t disappear. The interest to the national history is, in fact, very high, though it isn’t evident yet.

In the end, the deputy head of the Organizing Committee Mr. Kupava noted that the round-table conference is a preparatory stage of the scientific conference that will be devoted to the results of the detailed research of the participation of our Belarusian ancestors in the Battle of Grunwald, and that will be held this October.

 

Father Akalovich and Mikola Kupava

 

Siarhiey Tarasau

 

Anatol Taras

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