Francysk Skaryna

Francysk ( Francis, Franciscus ) Skaryna ( Skoryna, Skorina ) ( weißruss. Францішак Скарына, dt transcription " Franzischak Skaryna " scientific transliteration " Francišak Skaryna " * March 6, 1486 in Polotsk, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, † 1541 in Prague) let the first books printed in a form of language which, while having significant influences by Church Slavonic, but also unmistakable features of that vernacular language of the region, Altweißrussischen or Ruthenian shows.

He is now regarded as " first printer of Belarus " ( Belarusian: Першы Друкар Беларусі, see also the spread of the printing press ). Through his translations of the Bible in this regional variant of the Slavic he made ​​a decisive contribution to the development of the East Slavic vernacular literature in general and the Belarusian language in particular.

Skaryna studied at the University of Krakow. Later he moved to Prague, where he made translations of several books of the Bible and published. These issues are also of high artistic value.

Skaryna founded in the early twenties of the 16th century, the first printer in Vilnius.

From the history of ideas are also important Skarynas pros and Nachbemerkungen and other annotations and glosses on the texts published by him.

Skaryna spent the last years of life as a personal physician and gardener of King Ferdinand in Prague.

The name Skarynas contributed to 2005 a central street of the Belarusian capital Minsk. In Prague Skaryna (Russian Pyotr Kravchenko ) a monument was erected at the instigation of the first Belarusian Foreign Minister Pjatro Krawtschenka.

Russian commemorative, 1990

Skarynas Biblia Ruska, 1517

Skaryna monument in Prague