Book and illustration exhibition «The Path to the Stars. The Belarusian Footprint in Space and Cosmonautics»

A joint book and illustration exhibition with the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus, «The Path to the Stars. The Belarusian Footprint in Space and Cosmonautics», has opened in the National Library of Belarus. It is timed to coincide with Cosmonautics Day (April 12), as well as with a bright event of 2024 – the flight of the first cosmonaut in the history of sovereign Belarus, Marina Vasilevskaya, as part of the Soyuz MS-254 crew. The exhibition introduces important discoveries, brave conquerors of space and the secrets of the Universe.

Among the many problems of the present and future, the most popular is the problem of space exploration and development. The exhibition presents more than 100 documents from the 19th – 21st centuries. Among them are copies of archival documents, scientific, popular science publications, rich illustrative material (postcards, albums, posters).

The path to space was paved in the second half of the last century, but it was preceded by the intense and dedicated work of several generations of scientists, engineers, designers, and other specialists. The Belarusian land is rich in people who at different times moved space science forward and implemented its achievements in life. One of them is Kazimir Semenovich, who was the first to outline and describe back in the 17th century the idea of a multi-stage rocket – a prototype of rockets that launch satellites and spacecraft into space. The exhibition displays: a facsimile scientific publication «The Great Art of Artillery by Kazimir Semenovich» (2024) together with theoretical works by Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, a rare edition of Professor Adolf Hahn «Practical Course of Physics» (1864). You can also see catalogues of paintings by the Belarusian artist, sculptor, ethnographer, archaeologist, teacher, writer Yazep Drozdovich, science fiction works by Alexei Tolstoy, Nikolai Nosov, Jules Verne, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Ray Bradbury, Stanislav Lem and others.

The flight of Yuri Gagarin, who forever inscribed his name in the history of the 20th century, is revealed in popular science publications, memoirs, essays by scientists, eyewitnesses, relatives of the cosmonaut.

The National Archives of the Republic of Belarus presented archival documents at the exhibition: Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the BSSR of June 23, 1967 on the ratification of the Treaty on the principles of the activities of states in the exploration and use of outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies; Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Byelorussian SSR on the signing by the Byelorussian SSR of the Convention on the Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space, as well as the Resolution of the Board of the State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company of the BSSR, the Board of the Ministry of Education of the BSSR, the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the LKSMB, the Board of the Belarusian Society of Friendship and Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries on holding television meetings of pioneers of schools where the cosmonauts who took part in the longest space flight in human history studied, and others.

Thanks to the efforts of many people, a creative approach, faith in the power of the human mind and the fidelity of the dream of conquering the Universe, space reveals more and more of its secrets to us every year.

1. Poster of the book and illustration exhibition «The Path to the Stars. Belarusian trace in space and cosmonautics»

2. Head of the department of the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus M.A.Starostenko introduces archival documents at the exhibition

3. Head of the department of the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus M.A.Starostenko introduces the exhibition «Path to the stars. Belarusian trace in space and cosmonautics»