The British magazine has dedicated an article to Francysk Skaryna, which compared the Belarusian first printer to Martin Luther, a theologian, the initiator of the Reformation and the translator of the Bible into German.
The article notes that ‘this year, the 500th anniversary of his “95 Theses on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences”, Martin Luther’s legacy is being re-examined’.
“But 1517 is worth remembering for other reasons, too. In that year, Francysk Skaryna published a book of Psalms in his native Belarusian: it was one of the first to use the Cyrillic script. Only two years later, he had translated large swathes of the Bible. Beyond the borders of Belarus, where monuments, streets and university buildings bear his name, Skaryna is one of the forgotten talents of the age”.
The publication mentions the biography of the Belarusian enlightener and notes that he “had a very varied life”.
‘Comparisons between Skaryna and Luther can be taken further. Like the Protestant reformers, Skaryna understood the importance of new technology in spreading his message. He ran the first printing press in Vilnius, and his designs were influential even beyond Belarus’s borders,’ writes the Economist.
He did not receive international recognition, because there was no orthodox Reformation.
However, Skaryna remains popular among Belarusians. In 2012, the survey results showed that Skaryna was named the most famous Belarusian.
Francysk Skaryna should be considered next to Luther, one of the greatest figures of European culture, the magazine concludes.
