24 May 2004
International historical conference on Thaddeus Kosciusko opens in Brest
An international historical conference on Thaddeus Kosciusko opened in Brest on Friday, May 21.
Organized by the Cultural Department of the Brest Regional Executive Committee and the Polish General Consulate in Brest, the conference brought together 280 historians and members of foundations
representing Australia, Austria, Belarus, Britain, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Russia and the United States, Leonid Nesterchuk of the Brest region's Kosciusko Association told BelaPAN.
The organizers want the conference to advertise the activities of the Belarusian-born Polish and American national hero and help raise funds for the reconstruction of the Brest region's historic sites connected with Kosciusko.
The regional authorities have taken a serious effort to commemorate the famous historical figure, according to Mr. Nesterchuk. A bust of Kosciusko has recently been put up in the village of Sekhnovichi,
Zhabinka district, which also has a Kosciusko museum. Last year, the authorities got down to rebuilding Kosciusko's estate at Merechovshchina near Ivatsevichi. Most money for the $112,000 project was provided out of the regional budget. In addition, more than $28,000 was donated by the US embassy in Belarus.
The regional government has requested the embassies of Poland, France, Lithuania, Switzerland and the Polish consulate in Brest to render assistance in collecting Kosciusko memorabilia. Thaddeus Kosciusko (Pol. Tadeusz Kosciuszko, Bel. Tadevush Kastsyushka), born on February 4, 1746, fought against the British in the American Revolutionary army, then returned to his homeland to lead a 1794 uprising for Polish independence. A defeat from the united forces of Austria, Prussia and Russia was followed by years in Russian captivity. Pardoned by Emperor Paul I of Russia, Kosciusko spent his last years in exile and died in Switzerland in 1817. Kosciusko rests at the castle of Polish kings in Krakow. His heart is kept at the royal palace in
Warsaw.
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