Researcher of the manuscripts of Lithuanian Tatars visited the National Library of the Republic of Tatarstan

On April 20, 2016 Doctor of Humanities, Associate Professor of Vilnius University Galina Antonovna Mishkinene visited the Department of manuscripts and rare books of the National Library of the Republic of Tatarstan (ul. Karl Marx, d. 36).

Galina Mishkinene is connected with the Department of manuscripts and rare books library with longstanding business and friendly relations. The purpose of this visit was the interest of the scientist to newly revealed by the staff of the Department handwritten lists of Hamail – a prayer book on the Belarusian-Polish language. Hamail was rewritten in 1888 in Svisloch - a city in the southwest of Belarus, which is now the center of the Svisloch district of Grodno region. After examining the list Dr. Mishkinene said, that the copyist was someone known as Adam Radetzky. More detailed information about Hamaile the scientist will be able to provide after more rigorous study of the list. This handwritten Hamail was transferred to the library by Kazan resident Firdaus Kushaeva back in early 2015. But the Belarusian-Polish language on which it was written, caused difficulties in reading for the staff of the Department. A researcher from Lithuania has helped to solve this problem. Also Galina Mishkinene donated to the National Library of the Republic of Tatarstan a collection of articles "Slavonic writing of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania", published in 2014 in Vilnius and videodisc "Manuscripts of Lithuanian Tatars - a national treasure", which tells about the unique heritage of the Lithuanian Tatars - the manuscript tradition and "The Kitab of Ivan Lutskevich".

The staff of the National Library of the Republic of Tatarstan are very grateful to Dr. Mishkinene for cooperation in the study of manuscripts and presented unique editions.