On August 31, 2024, celebrations in honor of the XXXI Day of Belarusian Writing began in the city of Ivatsevichi, Brest region of Belarus. For three decades now, it has been held in different cities of the country to promote the best traditions of national culture and the printed word. The holiday is hosted by historical and cultural centers, which are associated with the life of famous figures of Belarus.
The events within the framework of the Day of Belarusian Writing began with the scientific and educational expedition "The Road to the Shrines", the participants of which, on August 28, after a prayer service in the Holy Spirit Cathedral of Minsk, went to Ivatsevichi with the Holy Fire from the Holy Sepulchre and the miraculous Zagorye-Stolovichi icon of the Mother of God on a 777 km long journey along the roads of Minsk, Pinskaya and the Brest dioceses.
In the morning of August 31, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus Metropolitan Veniamin of Minsk and Zaslavsky, representatives of government, organizations and public associations, veterans and home front workers laid flowers at the monument to the soldier on a mass grave.
In the evening, the opening ceremony of the Day of Belarusian Writing took place on the central square of the city, at which the Primate of the Belarusian Orthodox Church spoke among the honored guests. Metropolitan Veniamin stressed that every year the celebration is complemented by the corresponding anniversaries of events significant for the history of Belarus: "And this year we pay tribute to all those who liberated long-suffering Belarus from fascist invaders 80 years ago. We also cannot forget about the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the modern form of government. It is thanks to her and personally to the head of the sovereign Republic of Belarus that every year, in connection with this holiday, a worthy celebration of the best figures of writing, literature and the press is held, as well as a significant renovation and improvement of one of the regional cities."
Addressing the meaning of the holiday, the bishop noted that its deep essence is directly connected with the Word (Logos) — the name of God; that the word, language and writing are an exceptional gift of God to man. The Patriarchal exarch called for attention to the purity and meaningfulness of every word, both written and the one that comes from our mouths: "A word can offend, but it can inspire feats. A kind, holy word can bring you back to life even in the most hopeless circumstances. The word has great creative power, which everyone who works with the word and lives by the word is called upon to reveal for himself and society."
"Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth of man speaks" (Luke 6:45), the Gospel tells us. Words reflect the inner state of a person. The purer the words we speak and hear, the purer and richer our hearts and our minds will be, and the more beautiful our country will be. Our national culture, the wealth that our ancestors passed on to us, is a guarantee that a kind word, a creative word, will continue to be the basis of our historical existence. We need to do everything that depends on us to pass this treasure to the younger generation," Metropolitan Benjamin said in conclusion.