The opening ceremony of the 14^th International Bibliological Conference, timed to the 400th anniversary of the first published Slavic alphabet book "Bukvar" was held on April, 26 in the National Library of Belarus.

More than 400 book experts, teachers, linguists, culturologists, historians and philosophers from Azerbaijan, Belarus, Great Britain, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia and Ukraine are taking part in the scientific event.

The participants of the event were greeted by Roman Motulsky, Director of the National Library of Belarus, professor, Doctor of Education.

At the opening the welcome words on behalf of Ministry of Education, Ministry of the Republic of Belarus information, Belarusian State Pedagogical University named after Maxim Tank were announced.

The speakers noted that the International Bibliological Conference has became one of the most important events in the scientific and cultural life of the country. It unites researchers and specialists who work with book monuments, an important element of the nation's cultural and information potential, a vivid evidence of the high development of Russian culture and a valuable source for researching for our past and present times.

Famous book experts from Belarus, Great Britain, Latvia, Poland, Russia and Ukraine addressed the plenary session with scientific reports and presentations:

Alexander Susha,
the deputy director of the National Library of Belarus, PhD (Belarus)
“The Jubilee of One Book – the Jubilee of Culture: the 400th Anniversary of the First ‘Bukvar’”

Julia Shustova,
the Associate Professor of the Department of Auxiliary Historical Disciplines and Archaeography of the Russian State Humanitarian University, senior researcher of the Rare Book Department of the Russian State Library, PhD, Associate Professor (Russia)
“Cyrillic Primers of the 16th–18th Centuries, Published on the Belarusian Soil, in the Collection of the Russian State Library”

Antony Mironovich,
the Processor of the Bialystok University, Doctor Habilitat (Poland)
“Textbooks for Brotherhood Schools in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the 16th– 18th Centuries”

Anna Mozheyko,
the doctoral student of Aberdeen University (Great Britain)
“Martyrologies and Memorial Books: the Impact of English and Scottish Jesuits on the Print culture of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the Late 16th – early 17th Centuries”

Valentina Bochkovskaya,
the director of the Museum of Book and Printing of Ukraine (Ukraine)
“The Ukrainian Book Treasures: the Presentation of the Collection of the Museum of Book and Printing of Ukraine”

Juris Cybuls,
the author of primers, collector (Latvia)
“The Peoples of the World, Their Languages and Primers”

During the two days of the conference a plenary session, six sections, a pedagogical master class and the opening of the exhibition "The Peoples of the World and Their Primers" will be held. The purpose of the event is to consolidate the scientific community to discuss topical issues on the study and popularization of the book heritage, to stimulate international cooperation between researchers of the book culture.