MAŽVYDAS' BOOK COMMEMORATED IN CANADA'S CAPITAL
Press release of the Lithuanian Embassy in Ottawa, December 10, 1997
December 9, in Ottawa, in the National Library of Canada, the commemoration of the 450th anniversary of the first Lithuanian book by Mažvydas took place. As it is known, UNESCO has included this date in its list of important dates.
On this occasion, the Lithuanian Embassy in Ottawa organized several exhibitions in the National Library of Canada: 16th century Lithuanian book covers, historical Lithuanian maps as well as an exhibition devoted to Mažvydas and his times, which was prepared by bibliographer Silvija Vėlavičienė and sent to the countries of North America by Vilnius M. Mažvydas' National Library.
The commemoration meeting was conducted by soloist Rasa Krokytė-Veselkienė, a native of Philadelphia. The singer performed old Lithuanian folk songs. She was accompanied by pianist Loreta Cassidy. Dr. Alfonsas Eidintas, Lithuanian Ambassador to Canada, delivered a lecture "Brothers and sisters, take me and read me", on the historical background of M. Mažvydas' book, its contents and significance to Lithuanian culture.
The meeting was attended by teachers from Ottawa and Carleton universities, politicians, journalists, as well as the diplomatic corps including Finnish, Byelorussian, and Latvian Ambassadors, councellors [sic] of the Danish, Russian, Polish, and Italian Embassies; Canadian Lithuanians from Ottawa, Montreal, and Toronto, representatives from Latvian and Estonian organizations in Canada. On the eve of the meeting this event was advertised by Ottawa daily "The Ottawa Citizen".
It was the first numerous cultural event organized by the Lithuanian Embassy functioning since August, 1995 and which is one of the most recent embassies in Canada on the whole.
Aušrinė SIMANAITIENĖ
TUESDAY
Anniversary Celebration: Lithuanian Embassy marks 450th anniversary of the first
Lithuanian book; soloist performance, 6:30 p.m. National Library of Canada, 395 Wellington
St. 992-9988.