Stefan Batory in the historical memory of Grodno and Grodno residents (the 20th - beginning of the 21st century)

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Gardinas; Baltarusija; LDK; Steponas Batoras; Istorinė atmintis; Atminties vietos. Keywords: Grodno; Belarus; GDL; Stephan Batory; Historical memory; Places of memory.Reikšminiai žodžiai: Steponas Batoras (Stefan Batory; István Báthory; Stephen Bathory); Baltarusija (Belarus); Valdovai; Istorinė atmintis; Atmintinos vietos; 20 amžius; 21 amžius; Rulers; Historical memory; Places of memory; 20th century; 21th century.

ENThe actualization of the epoch and personality of the King of Poland and the Grand Duke of Lithuania Stefan Batory took place in modern Belarus on the wave of growing scientific and public interest in the political history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, neglected in Soviet times. The historical memory of him is most firmly established in the Grodno region and has a 100-year tradition. The article substantiates the reason for this phenomenon - first of all, the city of Grodno owes its worthy status of being a royal city as well as its high historical image to Batory. The ‘places of memory’ left by Batory in Grodno and their European significance are shown: the Old Castle is the only remaining royal castle in Belarus (except the New Castle), in the 1930s it was supposed to be transformed into the ‘Wawel over the Neman’, an analogue of Krakow Wawel; ‘Batoryevka’, known in the history of European medicine (the resting site of the body of Batory); the Vytautas Fara, the most famous Belarusian church destroyed by the communist authorities, which became a symbol of Grodno. Three stages of the evolution of the memory of Grodno and Grodno residents about Batory in the 20th - early 21st centuries are described: from the strong presence in the Grodno tradition from 1919 to 1939 through the transformation into a ‘white spot’ of history in Soviet times (the king who made campaigns to the East, could not be a symbol of the city) to ‘rehabilitation’ in the 1990s and an increasing presence in memory in recent years. The contribution of Grodno historians (Yu. Yadkovsky; scientific events organized by D. Karav) to the historical memory of the inhabitants of the region is emphasized.The forms and ways of manifestation of memory are identified: the nationwide character of celebrations of 1933 in honour of the 400 anniversary of the birth of Batory (apogee of his honour); the inclusion into the modern calendar of memorable dates of the day of remembrance of Batory (December 12), the installation of the monument to the lost churches on the site of Vytautas Fara (2014) and the discovery of new circumstances of its tragedy in 1961, ‘Stefan Batory Festival’ and others. There are three approaches to Batory of modern Grodno: from his recognition as a strong political figure among the figures of Eastern and Central Europe in the second half of the 16th century and his contribution to the development of Grodno through a neutral attitude to its exclusion from urban history (because he favoured the Jesuits, ‘suppressed’ the locals). Recently, public opinion of the city is concerned about the reconstruction of the ‘Vytautas Fara’ church, the reconstruction of the Old Castle, and the installation of a monument to Batory. These issues acquire a new practical meaning in the context of the development of Grodno as a tourist centre. Their solution can give a strong impetus to the tourism business in Belarus. [From the publication]

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