Monograph about Armenian family published in Belarus

The ANIV Foundation for Development and Support of Armenian Studies, together with the National Historical Archive of Belarus, has prepared and published a monograph, ‘The Majarsky: The Armenian Family in the History of Belarus’.

The book is devoted to the history of the family of the Armenian masters-weavers of Majar, who created the national Belarusian symbol, the famous ‘Slutsk Belts’.

Work on the book has been underway since 2018. Based on documentary materials from Belarusian and Polish archives, the book examines the history of the Majarsky family as well as the history of the creation and development of the Slutsk plant.

The history of the Majarsky family is considered a vivid example of Belarusian-Armenian cultural ties in the 18th century. While preserving their Armenian identity for a long time, they managed to integrate into the local szlachta community of Sluchina and Navahrudak.

The book will help understand the contribution of Jan and Leon Majarsky to Belarusian culture and closely link their names with one of its most famous brands. The data collected during the research also paves the way for further searches on the history of the Armenian presence in the Belarusian lands and the role of Armenians in the history of Belarus.