Proud Of The Nation: Famous Belarusians - Part 1

... from history

Tadeusz Kosciuszko

Born in Belarus in 1746, Kosciuszko is considered a national hero in America, Belarus and Poland for his leadership in the American Revolutionary War and the uprising against Imperial Russia and the Prussian Empire in 1794.

Francysk Skaryna

Francysk Skaryna is the Belarusian and East-Slavonic publishing pioneer. He was born in Polotsk approximately in 1490. He graduated from the University of Krakow where he got his bachelor’s degree in philosophy. At the University of Padua, he was granted a Doctorate of Medicine degree. During his period of work in Prague he published 23 illustrated books of the Bible in the Old Belarusian language. In the early 1520s Francysk Skaryna moved to Wilno where he founded a printing house. The Small Travel Guide and The Apostle were printed there. Francysk Skaryna’s creative work greatly influenced the culture of both Belarus and Ukraine and promoted the development of book-printing in the Moscow State. Skaryna’s books were largely distributed. 

Lev Sapega

A political and military figure, the Hetman of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, a diplomat, a philosopher. One of the main founders of the Statute of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (1588), which was actually the first European Constitution.

… from scienсe

Ignat Domejko

Born in Belarus in 1802. Domejko was a well-known geologist who spent most of his life in Chile where he became a national hero. He is officially recognised by UNESCO for his achievements.

Nikolai Sudzilovsky (Nicholas Russell)

An ethnographer, a geographer, a chemist, a biologist, a genetic doctor, the first president of the Hawaii State Senate. Born to an impoverished noble family in 1850 in Mogilev. From 1892 Nikolai lived in Hawaii where he fought for the rights of the locals.

Sofia Kovalevskaya

The first female Professor of Mathematics, descended from the Belarusian noble family. She spent her childhood in the Palibino Estate, Vitebsk Province. At the age of 18 Sofia entered into a fictive marriage to move abroad and to do science. Sofia Kovalevskaya is the author of numerous papers on mathematical analysis, mechanics and astronomy.

Pavel Sukhoi  

An aerospace engineer, an inventor, one of the creators of supersonic jets, a designer of more than 50 original aircraft solutions, more than 30 of which have been constructed and tested. Born in 1895, in the town of Glubokoye, Vitebsk Region.

Zhores Alferov

Belarusian physicist and academic who contributed significantly to the creation of modern heterostructure physics and electronics. He is the inventor of the heterotransistor and the winner of 2000 Nobel Prize in Physics. He has an almost messianic conception of heterostructures, writing: "Many scientists have contributed to this remarkable progress, which not only determines in large measure the future prospects of solid state physics but in a certain sense affects the future of human society as well."

Maksimilian Ryllo

Belarus can be proud of Maksymilian Ryllo who was a pioneer and the first researcher of ancient Babylon’s ruins. In 1836 Maksymilian Ryllo went to Lebanon and then to Mesopotamia to the archaeological site. He became a pioneer and the first researcher of the ruins of ancient Babylon because systematic archaeological excavations there began only in the late XIX century.

Simon Smith Kuznets

Belarus can be proud of one of the first winners in this category Simon Smith Kuznets who was awarded by the Nobel Committee in 1971. Simon Smith Kuznets was born in Pinsk (present-day Brest region, Belarus) in 1901. Simon was a middle son in the family. He was the pioneer in the science opening the role of "human factor" in the development of the economy. Kuznets used in his studies different giant empirical material which covers a long historical periods. The scientist also made a comparative historical analyses of the economic development of countries. In his works Kuznets expressed the idea of interaction of science, technology and institutional shifts and their impact on the progress and results of economic growth.

Barys Kit

Barys Kit is a Belarusian mathematician, physicist, chemist and developer of space fuel. Barys Kit held the first in the history basic research of a fuel, which then was used as the main propellant. The result of this research made it possible to make the first manned flight to the moon and the further development of space. Moreover, the spacecraft flight to the moon is also the work of Belarusian.  A "time capsule" with Kit's name was immured in the wall of Capitol in Washington, D.C.. Kit has always remained a conscious Belarusian: “Everything I did in my life —- I did for my homeland and its fame”.

Stanislau Halakcijonau

Stanislau Halakcijonau studied molecular biology, worked with the first computer, which was preparing a program on the biology associated with determining the structures of molecules, when the topic was a totally new and highly relevant. He became one of the founders of the discipline, which is now called molecular modeling. The recognition of Halakcijonau became an international. His works in biology were translated into European languages.

… from cosmos!

Petr Klimuk

Petr Klimuk, the first Belarusian cosmonaut; a researcher in technical sciences; twice Hero of the Soviet Union. Born in Komarovka village, Brest region, in 1942. Made three space flights as a member of spaceship and orbital space station missions. Spent a total of 78.76 days in space.

Vladimir Kovalenok

Born near Minsk in 1942, Kovalenok trained as a pilot and became a celebrated cosmonaut in the Soviet Union. He commanded 3 space missions and was twice declared a Hero of the Soviet Union.

Oleg Novitsky

The first Belarusian cosmonaut to lead the crew of the 34th international expedition to the ISS. Oleg Novitsky was born in the town of Cherven, Minsk Oblast in 1971. Before becoming a cosmonaut he was an Air Force pilot, a combat veteran, had medals bestowed by the Russian Defense Ministry.

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