An exhibition of rarities from Minsk Region museums, beautifully titled “The Poetry of Museum Treasures,” opened on October 20 at the Valery Shkarubo Art Gallery of the I. Kolodeyev Borisov Central District Library. Its uniqueness, both unusual and at the same time unique, lies in its presentation – a method of producing a three-dimensional image of an object based on the interference of light waves, which allows for the precise recording and reproduction of three-dimensional objects on a plate or film impregnated with photographic emulsion.

The event was attended by Yegor Mandrik, Deputy Chairman of the Borisov District Executive Committee; Natalia Skakun, Head of the Department of Culture of the Borisov District Executive Committee; Pavel Khatskevich, Director of the Borisov United Museum; students of the Institute for Advanced Training and Retraining of Personnel (IPKiPK) of the Belarusian State University of Culture and Arts; and staff of the central library.

As Elena Kopytok, director of the Kolodeyeva Library, noted, the library held a holography exhibition eight years ago, but that time it featured different, no less valuable exhibits. Today, thanks to a collaboration with the Borisov United Museum, the library is displaying a remarkable exhibition of 24 holograms—a collection of Belarusian relics.

“As a supporter of all good initiatives and undertakings, I am very pleased to be present at the opening of this exhibition. Culture and science always go hand in hand, thus providing the opportunity to experience historical relics such as those we see here. I hope that further scientific research will continue to help people of all ages, including schoolchildren, become even more familiar with the objects of great history,” said Yegor Mandrik, Deputy Chairman of Borisov District Executive Committee.

His words were echoed by Natalia Skakun, Head of the Culture Department of the Borisov District Executive Committee. Natalia Vladimirovna expressed confidence that this exhibition will certainly find its audience, and the regional leadership eagerly awaits new exciting proposals for joint work between the museum and library teams.

The collaboration between the museum and library is truly worthwhile, ensuring that the realized results are seen by as many people as possible. The exhibits include a Slutsk belt from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, a belt of Vitovt, an inkstand, a 9th-10th-century neck torc, a “Crucifixion” cross, a Westphalian sabre, a district clerk’s seal, a “Hurdy-Lyre” musical instrument, a Gospel from 1701, and much more, rare and, for us contemporaries, astonishing. These include two exhibits from the Borisov United Museum: a 19th-century “Eagle” flagpole (a replica) made of bronze and gilded metal, and a Napoleonic Cossack seal, which has virtually no analogues even in major museums.

The holography exhibition has visited almost every city in Minsk region. The series concludes this year in Borisov. Holograms are virtual, deep, three-dimensional images visible to the naked eye, but their visibility requires constant electrical illumination with focused light or direct sunlight. As a result, it seems as if a real exhibit is framed behind glass, allowing for examination from virtually all angles—the holographic method provides such a three-dimensional and detailed representation of the object, explained Pavel Khatskevich, director of the Borisov United Museum. These exhibits are rarely shown to the public because they require special storage conditions (temperature, lighting, and safety). For a more detailed look at these rarities, a QR code is placed next to each one. By scanning it, you can read the history of the exhibits on display.

The gallery also features a thematic book and illustration exhibition. An added bonus for visitors to the exhibition will be the opportunity to admire masterpieces from Valery Shkarubo’s art gallery, where the holography exhibition is housed in a specially shaded room. The unique landscapes of this remarkable artist, who “sang a quiet hymn to Belarusian nature,” will leave no one indifferent.

The holography exhibition “Poetry of Museum Treasures,” an art project of the Minsk Regional Museum of Local History, runs through November 20.

Elena BRITSKAYA