Pan Tadeusz, or the Last Foray in Lithuania

Adam Mickiewicz's "Pan Tadeusz" is a classic epic that reflects the world of Lithuania-Belarus with its nobility, traditions, and dream of freedom. The heroes of the work are people who love, fight, and strive to preserve their dignity in times of trial. This edition is particularly valuable thanks to the Belarusian translation by Pyotr Bitel, made in the dramatic conditions of the Stalinist Gulag. This is not only a literary work but also a testament to the power of culture, language, and spirit, which are capable of surviving even in the most difficult circumstances.

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Adam Mickiewicz is usually called a Polish poet, but the heroes of almost all his most famous works live in his native Lithuania-Belarus. And they do not just live, but dream of the freedom of their homeland, love, hunt, host hospitable feasts, and fight for justice.

The Navahrudak nobility shows its love of freedom, its desire not to submit to any occupiers, but at the same time, it impresses with its naivety and... pure Belarusian cunning. And the scene of the desperate battle of our nobility 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-clandestinely, in the Stalinist Gulag. Its author is the Belarusian priest, educator, and poet Pyotr Bitel. Lavon Barshcheuski