Outstanding People

In the history of humanity there have always been people whose actions and ideas produced a great impact on the lives of other people. They have made a great contribution to the science, culture, social life of their country and the whole world. That's why they are called outstanding.

We can’t imagine our life without the discoveries and inventions of scientists, without masterpieces of artists, writers and composers. Many of them became pioneers in their spheres and were not afraid of this.

I’d like to mention some of them, whom I consider the most significant. For example,

Leonardo da Vinci (15 April 1452 – 2 May 1519) was an Italian man who lived in the time of the Renaissance. He is famous for his paintings, but he was also a scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, sculptor, architect, botanist, musician, and a writer. Leonardo wanted to know everything about nature. He wanted to know how everything worked. He was very good at studying, designing and making all sorts of interesting things.

Among outstanding Belarusians I’d like to speak about such persons.

Everyone has heard about St Euphrosinia of Polotsk. She was the daughter of Prince Svyatoslav of Polotsk and granddaughter of Usiaslau the Enchanter (Charadey). She was the first Belarusian woman enlightener (просветитель).

Princess Pradslava, who became Euphrosinia some yearslater, was born in about 1110 in Polotsk. When she was twelveher parents planned to marry her off to one of the princes whoinfluenced the political life in the eastern European region. But Pradslava refused to marry and ran away to her aunt who

was the head of a convent (a monastery for women). There she

wanted to become a nun as it was the only possible “carrier” for

a woman at that time. But it took some time before Pradslava’s

father agreed with her choice, so as a result at the age of twelve

Pradslava became a nun-Euphrosinia.

Euphrosinia spent several years of her life in Sophia Cathedralin Polotsk. There she was copying religious books and givingthe money that she earned to the poor. Later with the helpof her family she founded her own convent. She also built twochurches one of which, the church of The Holy Saviour, still

stands today and is considered to be the most precious monumentof early Belarusian architecture. She turned her convent not only into a religious, but also a cultural centre. At the end of her life she went to the Holy Land where she died sometime after 1167. Her body was carried to Kiev and placed in the Monastery of the Caves. It was only in 1910 that her body was brought back to her native town of Polotsk.

Her name is also associated with the Cross of Saint Euphrosinia.

It was a magnificent piece of art that was created by one of the best masters of that time LasarBohsha. He used a uniqueancient technology and decorated the Cross with preciousstones. The Cross was presented by Euphrosinia to the churchof the Holy Saviour in 1161. Over the centuries the Cross was

stolen and then returned to Belarus several times. However, after World War II it mysteriously disappeared. Most probablyit was stolen. The attempts to find it have been made by Belarusian scientists and the government. But the investigationdidn’t bring any results. So in 1997 a Belarusian artist Nikolai

Kuzmich created a unique copy of the Cross that is now kept in

in St Euphrosinia’s Church in Polotsk.

One more famous Belarusian is FrancyskSkoryna. He is a Belarusian legend. He has been remembered and respected for his contribution to the education and the development of printing. He was born in the ancient Belarusian city of Polotsk in the first half of the sixteenth century. He was born to the family of a merchant and got his primary education at home. At that time there wasn’t a universityon the territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Skoryna

had to travel to Krakow where he became a brilliant student ofthe Arts Faculty. After graduating from Krakow Universityhe decided to travel further to Italy and soon became a doctorof medicine. As a result of his trips he became involved in printing and publishing of books. He printed his first book entitled

The Psalter[ˈ sɔ ː ltə ], in Old Belarusian in 1517 in Prague. It was followed by twenty-three books more. The most significant event for Belarusian culture was the first printing of the Bible in Belarusian.

He died there in either 1540 or 1550. Today we can call Skoryna one of the founders of Belarusian literature. In 1969 the story of FrancyskSkoryna was told in the film “I, FrancyskSkoryna…” Two awards presented in Belarus were named in honour of Skoryna: Medal of FrancyskSkoryna and Order of FrancyskSkoryna. Besides, there is a bronze monument to Skoryna near the building of the National Library in Minsk.

So, great people contribute a lot to the development of the humanity and change our world a lot. Their life is often hard, but their names and deeds will remain in centuries.

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