Francysk Skaryna Quotes
printer, translator, physician, humanist
Francysk Skaryna was printer, translator, physician, humanist from BY
“Not only for doctors and philosophers, but also for every good and common person is it necessary to know wisdom and science.”— Francysk Skaryna
Skaryna wrote variations of this sentiment in the prefaces to his biblical translations published in Prague between 1517 and 1519. He consistently argued that wisdom and knowledge should be accessible to all people, not reserved for the educated elite. His prefaces are among the earliest examples of Belarusian literary prose and represent a remarkably early call for the democratization of learning.
The Story of Francysk
The father of Belarusian printing and a symbol of a nation
Skaryna moved to Prague sometime after 1534 and likely worked in the royal garden until his death around 1551 or early 1552. His son Simeon inherited his manuscripts, letters, and books. Skaryna printed fewer than thirty books in his lifetime. But those books were the first printed works in any East Slavic language. He created a literary language that ordinary people could read. He wrote prefaces that explained why knowledge should not be locked away in monasteries and courts but should belong to everyone. In Belarus today he is a national hero. His portrait is on banknotes and stamps. A university, a medal, and an asteroid are named after him. He is the founding figure of Belarusian literature and the proof that one person with a printing press can change a culture.
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