On holding a round table «Epitaphium II: Funeral Culture of the Peoples of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania» at the National Historical Archives of Belarus

On April 18, 2023, as part of the events of the Year of Peace and Creation proclaimed in the Republic of Belarus, a round table «Epitaphium II: Funeral Culture of the Peoples of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania» was held at the National Historical Archives of Belarus. At it, scientists from the NIA of Belarus, the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the Belarusian State University presented reports on funeral practices and preserving the memory of a person after death. Attention was drawn to the features of the funeral rites of representatives of various faiths who lived on the territory of Belarus in certain historical periods, the material aspects of honoring memory (the design of monuments and their erection), maintaining the memory of heroic events, displaying memorial practices in historical chronicles and iconography.

The results of research demonstrated at the round table testify to the centuries-old harmonious coexistence of representatives of different ethnic and religious groups on the Belarusian lands, the interpenetration of their customs and traditions. This should contribute to interfaith dialogue and the consolidation of the Belarusian society, which becomes especially significant in the Year of Peace and Creation.