“The understanding of freedom comes hand in hand with spiritual liberation”, Fr. A. Nadson
In 2026, we mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Father Alexander Nadson (1926–2015) — priest, translator, researcher, cultural and spiritual leader of the Belarusian émigré community, an apostle of Belarusian identity in the West. His immense contribution includes studies of early Belarusian printed books and kitabs, significant monographs on religious history, and translations from Greek of the corpus of liturgical texts of the Byzantine rite. Father Nadson was one of the founders and the long-standing director of the Skaryna Library — a prominent centre of Belarusian culture and scholarship in the West — and, as Apostolic Visitor for Belarusians abroad, he maintained close relationships with Belarusian diaspora communities around the world. He was also the first to bring medical aid from abroad for the victims of Chernobyl in Belarus.
We invite researchers, scholars, educators and public figures to take part in the academic conference “Understanding Freedom”. Readings in Honour of the Centenary of Father Alexander Nadson”, organised by the European Humanities University in partnership with the Francis Skaryna Belarusian Library and Museum. The aim of the conference is to draw scholarly attention to the study of the life, work and academic legacy of Father Nadson, as well as to provide an opportunity to discuss the development of archival and library studies and research on the Belarusian diaspora.
Suggested thematic areas:
- The spiritual and educational work of Father A. Nadson
- The Belarusian diaspora and its role in the twentieth century
- Translation and publishing: contributions to the development of the Belarusian language and culture
- Educational and archival work (the Skaryna Library collections, library, museum, and archives)
- Belarusian identity in the émigré milieu
- Memoirs and testimonies of contemporaries
Participation conditions:
- A paper proposal should include a title, a short abstract (up to 300 words), and information about the author (name, affiliation, contact email)
- Conference languages: Belarusian, English, Lithuanian, Polish
- Application deadline: 15 February 2026
- Notice of acceptance will be sent to participants by 1 March
Please send applications and enquiries to: library@skaryna.org.uk
