A jubilee festival dedicated to the author of the most "popular" Belarusian poem was held in Horadok

Throughout the day, vibrant creative events dedicated to the native of the region, Kanstantsin Verenitsyn, the author of the most famous Belarusian poem "Taras on Parnas", are held in the city.

The main celebrations took place on the central square of the district center. Here, one could see the entire pantheon of Greek gods descended from Olympus and other heroes of the satirical poem. Lines from the cult work sounded from the stage. Folk songs, jokes, and lively dances were presented to the guests by creative groups from different regions of the oblast. The highlight of the grand opening of the jubilee festival was the ethno flash mob "Skoki va use boki". The start of the cycling race "Stezhkami Tarasa" also took place here. Guests of the festival could also take part in a bus excursion to the picturesque village of Ostrovlyany near Horadok, where the poet was born. The people had not only spiritual food but also treats of traditional local cuisine, presented by creative hostesses of farmsteads from different corners of the Horadok region.

The concert and disco "Vecherinka na Parnase" with the participation of the rock band "Taras on Parnas" from Orsha, at sunset, gathered a lot of people in the square and became a bright final chord of the original holiday.

Konstantin Verenitsyn is the most famous native of Gorodok region. He is considered one of the founders of new Belarusian literature, although only two of his works have survived to this day – the classic poem "Taras on Parnassus" and "Two Devils". There are many blank spots in his biography. He was born in the village of Ostrovlyany on June 13, 1834, into a family of serfs. Many researchers of his life lean towards the version that he was the illegitimate son of the landowner Bondarev. Otherwise, how could he have received an education prestigious for those times and built a successful career. After gymnasium, the peasant youth entered the medical-surgical academy in St. Petersburg, where he studied for two years. In 1857, he entered the third year of the Gory-Goretsky Agricultural Institute. According to one version, it was there that he wrote his iconic work. After graduation, Verenitsyn worked as a teacher at the Molodechno Teachers' Seminary, then served in St. Petersburg in the apparatus of the Ministry of Railways. In 1900, he retired with the rank of State Councilor. He died in 1904. His death, like his birth, is shrouded in mystery. The exact date and place have not yet been established.

For a long time, literary critics attributed the authorship of the poem to various writers who lived at that time, including Dunin-Martsinkevich. Verenitsyn's involvement in the work was proven in 1973 by researcher Gennady Kiselev. A memorial boulder has been erected in honor of the famous countryman in Ostrovlyany, the poet's small homeland, and a bronze monument has been erected in Gorodok in the city square. These are some of the favorite places for the residents of Gorodok and guests of the district center, who like to take selfies next to them as a memento.

Andrei ZAKHAROV, "SB - Belarus Today".