News

On 5 July, on the eve of the Statehood Day Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Petras Vaitiekūnas welcomed the participants of the international poetic-musical event of Magnus Ducatus Poesis (The Grand Duchy of Poetry) in Simonas Daukantas square. “I enjoy the possibility to hear poetry read in different languages on the eve of Mindaugas Coronation Day in Vilnius, here, in Simonas Daukantas square, where Taras Shevchenko, Francysk Skaryna, Adam Mickiewicz, Czesław Miłosz and other men of worth and kindred spirit to us trod,” said the Head of Lithuanian diplomacy.

In Simonas Daukantas Square in front of the Presidential Palace works performed by poets and musicians from Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine and Russia reminded the spirit of tolerance and amity among nations cherished in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

 “I take delight in seeing how the community is brought into being with inspiration and enthusiasm, in which poets, translators of poetry, its critics and lovers, as well as people from other spheres of art and scholars from Lithuania and our neighbouring countries feel homey,” – spoke Minister P.Vaitiekūnas.

Listeners heard musical improvisation reminding of the times of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania performed with traditional instruments used in the region by famous musicians in their countries: Mieczysław Litwiński (Poland), Algirdas Klova (Lithuania), Todar Kachkurevich (Belarus), Rūta Muktupāvela and Valdis Muktupāvels (Latvia).

Verses were read in different languages by poets of various generations from Lithuania and neighbouring countries. Participants of the event heard poetry by Eugenijus Ališanka, Vladas Braziūnas, Vytautas Dekšnys, Antanas A.Jonynas, Birutė Jonuškaitė, Kornelijus Platelis (Lithuania), Georgi Yefremov (Lithuania/Russia), Uladzimer Arlov, Andrei Khadanovich, Maria Martysevich (Belarus), Barbara Gruszka-Zych (Poland), Romuald Mieczkowski (Lithuania/Poland) and Andri Bondar (Ukraine).

The first poetic-musical evening of Magnus Ducatus Poesis was held at Lithuanian Embassy in Minsk in 2006. The first Magnus Ducatus Poesis almanac was published along with the action. The almanac includes poetry in six languages, as well as a video and audio CD with the film, music and verses of the last year’s action.

This project is supported by Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the second year already.