Pan Tadeusz, or the Last Foray in Lithuania

Adam Mickiewicz's epic poem "Pan Tadeusz" holds special value in its Belarusian translation: this translation was created by the priest, educator, and poet Pyatro Bitel under the difficult conditions of the Stalinist Gulag. The work tells about the life and customs of the Navahrudak gentry, their struggle for freedom, their hospitable feasts, hunts, and love. The poem is full of national colors and reflects the dramatic confrontation between Belarusians and the Russian army. This book is for those who want to discover the depth of Belarusian culture through world-renowned classics.

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Adam Mickiewicz is commonly referred to as a Polish poet, but the heroes of almost all his most famous works live in his native Lithuania-Belarus. And they don't just live there; they dream of the freedom of their Homeland, they love, they hunt, they host hospitable feasts, and they fight for justice.

The Navahrudak gentry demonstrates their love of freedom, their desire not to submit to any invaders, but at the same time, they impress with their naivety and... purely Belarusian shrewdness. And the scene of our gentry's desperate battle with the regular Russian army, which also includes Belarusians, is one of the most memorable scenes in 19th-century literature.

This translation of "Pan Tadeusz" into Belarusian was done semi-underground, in the Stalinist Gulag. Its author is the Belarusian priest, educator, and poet Pyatro Bitel.