Lida. Monument to Francisk Skoryna.

In the center of Lida, near the castle, there is a monument to Francisk Skoryna. The monument was erected on July 25, 1993 and timed to coincide with the second anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Belarus. The sculptor is a well-known Belarusian artist and sculptor Valerian Yanushkevich. Residents and enterprises of the Lida Region took an active part in the fundraising.

Francisk Skoryna earned fame and respect of the Belarusian people during his lifetime and was widely known outside our country.

F. Skoryna (1470? – 1551?)- Belarusian and East Slavic first printer, educator and humanist, philosopher and public figure, physician and translator. In honor of Francisk Skoryna monuments are being erected and streets are named in honor of him. There are two state awards in Belarus in honor of Francisk Skoryna: the Order and the medal.

Skoryna was born in the city of Polotsk in the family of a merchant. He graduated from the University in Krakow. He defended his degree of Doctor of Medicine by passing the exam at the University of Padua in Italy. Then he moved to Prague and in August 1517 published the first printed Belarusian book in Cyrillic script called "Psaltyr". Sometime around 1520, Skoryna moved to Vilnius, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, where he founded the first printing house in Eastern Europe and published a "Small Travel Book".

He died and was buried in Prague, where a large monument to our enlightener was also erected in the city center in the park.