Publication of books in the Belarusian language at the beginning of the 20th century: bibliological analysis

Abstract

The article deals with the publication of books in the Belarusian language at the beginning of the 20th century. Petersburg and Vilna were the main centers for publishing Belarusian books. Later the book association «Minchuk» which was publishing the journals «Luchynka» and «Vyasyolka» appeared in Minsk. St. Petersburg publishers made a great contribution to the development of the Belarusian book printing industry. In Vilna, the publication of books in the Belarusian language was carried out by the publishing houses «Nasha Niva», «Nasha Khata», «Palachanin», and the «Belarusian Publishing Association». The largest group of books in the Belarusian language are literary and fiction publications, including poetry, prose, and dramatic works. Thanks to the activities of publishing houses organized by the natives from the Belarusian lands in Petersburg and Vilna, the first collections of works by famous Belarusian writers were published. Textbooks, popular science books on the humanities and the natural sciences, and practical manuals on agriculture were printed in the Belarusian language, in addition to works of fiction. The educational editions were mainly represented by books for reading, as well as arithmetic and history textbooks. Providing Belarusian readers with the opportunity to obtain knowledge about astronomy, mathematics, medicine, agricultural sciences, and humanities from books in their native language contributed to the expansion of education and the development of science and culture in Belarus.