Belarusian reference tool for cities and towns

Cover of the Mahiliou voblasts (Mahiliouskaia voblasts'), Book III, Harady i vioski Belarusi

Introductory page to the section devoted to the
Mstsislauski district (Mstsislauski raion), Mahiliou voblasts

Starting in 2004, the Institute of Arts, Ethnography and Folklore, of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus has been putting together a series of volumes devoted to the voblasts (provinces) of Belarus, and their individual districts.  Harady i vioski Belarusi (Cities and towns of Belarus) is being published by the Petrus Brouski Belarusian Encyclopedia Publishing House, -- with each individual voblasts' having 2 or 3 volumes devoted to its various raions (districts). Anyone doing genealogical research will find this set of books a most welcome resource tool. One will find write-ups on the history of each city, town and village located within a voblasts' and district. Each volume contains: information about when a particular town was founded; what are some noteworthy events that took place over the centuries in the town and its surrounding areas; and what important buildings and landmarks exist in a district. A detailed map of each district accompanies the start of each chapter devoted to that district. As a note, this is an ongoing project, with one or two volumes being added to the series each year.

Harady i vioski Belarusi, is located in the Slavic Collection's Reference section under the call number, Slav DK 507.37 H37.

Natsyianal'nyi Atlas Belarusi = The National Atlas of Belarus

Natsyianal'nyi Atlas Belarusi = The National Atlas of Belarus

Many of the post-Soviet countries have published national atlas's since becoming independent in 1991, including, Belarus. The National Atlas of Belarus (2002) is divided into 19 sections, and focuses on such areas as: territory; population; climate; ecology; agriculture; culture; science; and industry, In addition, there is a section devoted to the history of Belarus, for example,  several maps cover the period of the Grand Duchy of Litva.  The atlas was created under the auspices of the Council of Minister of the Republic of Belarus, whose committee oversees land resources, geodesy and cartography.

The  National Atlas of  Belarus is held in the Atlas Section in the Elizabeth Dafoe Library's Reference Room, under the call number G 2145 R4 2002

20th Annual J.B. Rudnyckyj Distinguished Lecture, with Dr. Timothy Snyder.

Dr. Timothy Snyder speaking at the University of Manitoba

The 20th Annual J.B. Rudnyckyj Distinguished Lecture took place on Thursday, March 29, 2012, in the Moot Court, Robson Hall (Faculty of Law). The guest lecturer for the event was, Dr. Timothy Snyder, a Professor of History at Yale University, and New York Times bestselling author, with his book, Bloodlands: Europe Bewteen Hitler and Stalin. His lecture also titled, Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin, reflected upon his research on the history of mass murders in central and eastern Europe between 1933 – 1945. His lecture took the mass murders out of isolation and examined them beyond the traditional historical understanding of their causes.

The lecture was very well attended, and included both members of the university and external communities. The lecture was sponsored not only by the U of M Archives & Special Collections, the Slavic Collection (Elizabeth Dafoe Library), and the Department of German and Slavic Studies, but by the Consul General of the Republic of Poland (Toronto), and the Canadian Polish Congress (Manitoba Branch). Without the generous support of the latter 2 sponsors, the event would not have been possible.

The Belarusian Journal -- Arche

Arche is an independent Belarusian inter-disciplinary bimonthly periodical. Established in 1998, Arche is a venue which brings together Belarusian intellectuals to discuss issues affecting Belarusian society, such as: politics, history, language, economics, etc.. It has also published the translated works of non-Belarusian writers, historians, politicians, such as: Vaclav Havel, Taras Kuzio, and Zbigniew Brzezinski. The articles included in Arche have often been in conflict with the views of the authorities in Belarus, especially those covering the rule of Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

Arche is available electronically through the University of Manitoba Libraries, as well as in paper format in the Elizabeth Dafoe Library’s Slavic Collection’s main stacks, under the call number, Slav DK 507.32 A735, -- with the most recent issue displayed on the Slavic Collection’s Current Periodical Shelf.