On 4 June, 2021, an online working round table brought together the representatives of the National Library of Poland (NLP) and the Library for Foreign Literature (LFL). The meeting discussed the development of cooperation on the European-wide Cultural Route Project “Holy Places of Undivided Christianity”.

The meeting was attended, on the Russian side, by the Head of the Association “Holy Places of Undivided Christianity”, LFL Deputy Director General for Interregional and International Cooperation, Miguel Palacio, and the Leading Methodologist of the LFL Center for Coordination and Support of International Activities, Polina Avtonomova. The following Polish experts took part in the round table: NLP Deputy Director Julia Konopka-Žolnierczuk, Head of the Book and Reading Institute at the National Library of Poland Tomasz Szwaciński and Head of the NLP Center for Digital Data Preservation Tomasz Gruszkowski. The special guest of the meeting was the Director of the Polish Cultural Centre in Moscow, Piotr Skwieciński.

During the round table the participants discussed creation and promotion of a series of cultural routes in Poland entitled „Holy Places of Undivided Christianity”, as well as preparation of a draft route for certification at the European Institute of Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe this year. Also, the meeting addressed such issues as possibility of signing the Memorandum of Accession of the National Library of Poland to the Association „Holy Places of Undivided Christianity” and formats for joint online events.

The National Library of Poland confirmed its readiness to develop a mini-route associated with Saint Wojciech (Adalbert of Prague), a symbiloc figure for Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. A mini-route dedicated to Saint Wojciech will be published on the website of «Holy Places of Undivided Christianity» already this summer. Other activities related to this topic are also envisaged, which may constitute a significant step in strengthening the Russian-Polish cultural partnership.

Saint Wojciech (Adalbert of Prague)

The round table repeatedly drew attention to the value of participation of the Polish Cultural Center in the project. The director of this institution, Piotr Skwieciński, expressed willingness to promote the cooperation between the National Library of Poland and the Association «Holy Places of Undivided Christianity», as well as the Library for Foreign Literature, which acts as a coordinator in the project’s route development.

At the moment, the working group of the project „Holy Places of Undivided Christianity” is actively negotiating with the National Library of Poland on introducing the valuable book and museum resources to the project and doing an in-depth study of Polish library collections.

National Library of Poland

A reminder: the Library for Foreign Literature and the National Library of Poland are linked by long-term relationships and joint projects. Tomasz Szwaciński not only visited «Inostranka» during his internship in Russia, but also repeatedly organized important professional library events with the participation of Russian specialists.

16 June 2021