From February 16 to 20, 2026, Yakub Kolas Institute of Linguistics of the NAS of Belarus will hold events dedicated to International Mother Language Day, which is celebrated on February 21.
A range of events will be held throughout the week, including lectures, workshops, roundtables, interactive sessions, creative meetings, educational and entertaining activities. All are dedicated to the preservation, development, and popularization of the Belarusian language.
Thus, on February 16 at 10:00 there will be a creative meeting of young scientists of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus with the writer, journalist, TV presenter, radio host, Honored Cultural Figure of the Republic of Belarus Naum Galperovich "I am ready to preserve every sound of the only eternal language for me" (Center for Research of Belarusian Culture, Language and Literature, 10th floor, office 1003). The meeting will discuss a wide range of issues related to the language of fiction, the writer's life credo, and the contemporary literary process. At 12:00, a creative meeting will begin between the editor-in-chief of the Science newspaper, S. Dubovik, with researchers from the Department of Humanities and Arts and students from universities across the country on the topic "Artificial Intelligence: Is it possible to speak to it in your native language?" (Center for Research of Belarusian Culture, Language, and Literature, 3rd floor, room 302). A scientific and practical workshop for teachers of the Belarusian language in Moskovsky District of Minsk, aimed at familiarizing teachers with the achievements of academic linguistics and their practical use in school education, will begin at 15:00 (Center for Research of Belarusian Culture, Language and Literature, 3rd floor, room 302).
On February 17 at 9:30, a meeting will begin between staff of the Computational Linguistics Sector and young scientists from the Center for Research of Belarusian Culture, Language, and Literature of the NAS of Belarus and professors from the country's universities (Center for Research of Belarusian Culture, Language, and Literature, 3rd floor, room 302). During the meeting, young scientists will become familiar with the sector's developments and discover new opportunities for using computer technology in humanities research. At 11:00, staff of Yakub Kolas Institute of Linguistics and teachers of linguistic departments of Belarusian universities will meet as part of the event "The connection between linguistics and education" (Center for Research of Belarusian Culture, Language and Literature, 3rd floor, room 302). During the meeting, directions of cooperation between Yakub Kolas Institute of Linguistics and linguistic departments of the country's universities will be discussed, and copies of the fundamental linguistic and geographical work "Lexical Atlas of Belarusian Folk Speeches" will be handed over for use in the educational process. The round table "Slavic Studies. Ethnic Studies. Ethnology," which aims to popularize science and gain career-oriented experience, will begin at 14.00 (Center for Research of Belarusian Culture, Language, and Literature, 3rd floor, room 302). The meeting with students of grades 10–11 of State Educational Institution “Secondary School No. 26, Minsk named after Z. Kolobanov”, aimed at discussing the stages of the formation of the Belarusian language and its current state in Belarusian society, will begin at 15:00 (State Educational Institution “Secondary School No. 26, Minsk named after Z. Kolobanov”, 15 Lev Sapega Str.)
On February 18 at 10:00, a quiz game called "Belarusian Calendar" will be held, during which children will learn in a playful way about the origin of the names of the months in the Belarusian language, about holidays and the peculiarities of spending time in each season (State Educational Institution "Kindergarten No. 366, Minsk", 55 Surganov Str.) At 11:00, a round table will be held with the participation of scientists and practicing translators, aimed at discussing a range of issues in translation studies (Center for Research of Belarusian Culture, Language and Literature, 3rd floor, room 302). At 13.00, the Center for Research of Belarusian Culture, Language and Literature (1 Surganov Str., Bldg. 2, Room 302) will host the summing up and awarding of the winners of the National competition of scientific research works "Cornflowers whisper in a language…"
On February 19, at 11:00, Yakub Kolas Central Scientific Library (Minsk, 15 Surganov Str., Information and Exhibition Center, Room 110) will host a national workshop on the topic "Word, book, science: space for professional dialogue", devoted to the discussion of the role of libraries as the most important space for the preservation, study and popularization of language heritage. The next event at 14:00 will be a meeting with students of the Faculty of Journalism of Belarusian State University and a linguistic quiz "MovaVedy" (Institute of History of the NAS of Belarus, 1 Akademicheskaya Str., 2nd floor, meeting room). At 15:00, another linguistic quiz will be held – “Word for word will be the language” with the participation of students of State Educational Institution “Gymnasium No. 22, Minsk”, students of Belarusian State Pedagogical University named after Maxim Tank and Belarusian National Technical University (Center for Research of Belarusian Culture, Language and Literature, 3rd floor, room 302). The presentation of the albums from the "Folklore Treasures of Belarusians" series, accompanied by performances by folklore groups and an exhibition of vytinanka, will begin at 15:00 in Yakub Kolas Central Scientific Library of the NAS of Belarus (Yakub Kolas Central Scientific Library, Minsk, 15 Surganov Str., Information and Exhibition Center, room 110).
On February 20 at 12:00, dialectologists will give a lecture for senior students of State Educational Institution "Secondary School No. 178, Minsk" on the topic "Lexical richness of the living Belarusian language: scientific sources for their study", which will be aimed at familiarizing them with publications in the Belarusian national language, dedicated to the description of the richness of Belarusian folk dialects, such as dictionaries, lingua-geographical atlases and anthologies on dialectology, and their popularization (State Educational Institution "Secondary School No. 178, Minsk", Vostochnaya Str., 68). On the same day, from 13.00 to 14:15, Yakub Kolas Central Research Library of the NAS (15 Surganov Str., Information and Exhibition Center, room 110) will host a National dictation in the Belarusian language, timed to the International Mother Language Day and Women's Year. The dictation will also be broadcast on the Kultura channel of Belarusian Radio. At 14.00 the Center for Research of Belarusian Culture, Language and Literature (1 Surganov Str., Bldg. 2, Room 302) will host a creative meeting between scientists from Yakub Kolas Institute of Linguistics and schoolchildren from State Educational Institution “Secondary School No. 140, Minsk”, State Educational Institution “Secondary School No. 8, Zhodino” and students from Belarusian State University of Culture and Arts "Mother and Child – from the Language of Life". At 15.00, students of State Educational Institution "Gymnasium with the Belarusian Language of Education No. 23, Minsk" will attend an interactive lecture entitled "Native language, wonderful language! You are the thread and foundation of our thoughts" (State Educational Institution "Gymnasium with the Belarusian Language of Education No. 23, Minsk", Independence Av., 45).
On February 21 at 9.00, the Civil Defense University of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus will host a lecture entitled "Our Language is Our Heritage: From the History of Our Native Language" with a linguistic quiz. During the event, cadets will refresh their knowledge of the history of their native language, learn about the development of its vocabulary, become acquainted with written monuments, and learn about the biographies of people who contributed to the development of the Belarusian language (Civil Defense University of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus, Minsk, Mashinostroiteley Str., 25, Bldg. 1).
On February 23, Shumilino District will host a regional conference of students' research projects, "Native land in the mirror of science", featuring a section on linguistics. I. Kopylov, Director of Yakub Kolas Institute of Linguistics (10 Korotkin Str., Shumilino), will serve as an expert on the linguistics research projects.
On February 24 at 11:00 there will be a presentation of publications by and about Postavy residents, organized by Yakub Kolas Institute of Linguistics and Vitebsk Regional Library named after V. Lenin (Postavy, Lenin Sq., 25). At 14.00, at the Brotherhood of St. John the Theologian of Minsk Diocese of Belarusian Orthodox Church, staff from Yakub Kolas Institute of Linguistics will hold an interactive game, "Logas", which will introduce the main characters, stories, and values of the Holy Scriptures (Brotherhood of St. John the Theologian of Minsk Diocese of Belarusian Orthodox Church, Minsk, 5 Cyril and Methodius Street).
International Mother Language Day is an annual holiday established in 1999 by a decision of the UNESCO General Session. Its main goal is to preserve linguistic and cultural diversity in the world, support national languages and cultures, and ensure the right of every citizen to use their native language. The National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (Yakub Kolas Institute of Linguistics) traditionally holds events dedicated to International Mother Language Day, including a large number of events dedicated to the preservation, development, and popularization of the Belarusian language.
Yakub Kolas Institute of Linguistics of the NAS of Belarus is the country's leading scientific institution, dedicated to ensuring the successful functioning of the Belarusian language in all spheres of public life. The Institute coordinates and conducts systematic research in Belarusian linguistics.
