“Belarusian Nobleman Told Pope Of Rome: Come Here, Invest In Grand Duchy Of Lithuania”

495 years ago, the Song About The Bison was written.

495 years ago the Song About The Bison by Mikalai Gusouski, written in Latin, came out.

The writer Pavel Kastsiukevich shared his vision of this work with Radio Racyja:

– The Song About The Bison. We regard it as thoughts on the Motherland on the paths of medieval Europe. Encyclopedia of gentry life. In fact, this is an advertising brochure. It was written in Latin, it was written for the Pope, it was written for one purpose – to attract investments. It supposedly describes the climate, the landscape of our country. But in fact, it describes the financial climate, the economic landscape and says: come here, invest in Grand Duchy of Lithuania. There is actually a slogan: “Buy and build, the woodless descendant...” In Europe, there were no woods then.

Mikalai Gusouski wrote this poem in 1522 in Rome at the request of Pope Leo X Medici, who wanted to learn more about the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the local giant beast – European bison.