Abstract
The main aim of this article is to briefly overview the history of printed books of Karaims in Eastern Europe and Crimea, taken in a very broad sense both in Karaim and in other languages. The Karaim language belongs to the Kipschak’s (Kuman’s) family of Turkic languages. Printing of books in the native language, to be used both in everyday life and for religious purposes, was an important activity of Karaim communities. According to the geographical settlements of Karaims in Europe, there existed three dialects of the Karaim language – Crimean, Lutsk-Halich (Ukraine) and Trakai (Lithuania) dialect. Books were printed in each of these dialects in different periods of time, depending on the political situation. In the very beginning of printing era, Crimean Karaims were the most active ones. In the 16th century they started printing books, and then continued during the 18th–19th centuries. Later it was Vilnius and Lutsk that took over. At the end of 19th – beginning of 20th centuries, and especially between the two world wars, Karaim scholars and spiritual leaders in Vilnius and Lutsk were very active investigating and popularising their cultural heritage. Due to their achievements, revival of national identity and revitalization of scientific studies on national heritage after 1990 became very productive. Several Karaim figures of the 20th century were important, among them Hadgi Seraya Khan Shapshal (1873–1961), the highest priest, a famous turkologist, prof. Ananiasz Zajączkowski (1903–1970) and two senior priests Simonas Firkovičius (1897–1982) and Mykolas Firkovičius (1924–2000). All printed Karaim books are important sources for understanding the Karaim cultural heritage and for continuity of the communities’ life.
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
Most read articles by the same author(s)
-
EGIDIJUS JASELIŪNAS,
MODEL OF SAMIZDAT AND THE CASE OF THE SPREAD OF SECRET PACTS OF RIBBENTROP–MOLOTOV
,
Knygotyra: Vol. 51 (2008): Knygotyra
-
DANGUOLĖ USAVIČIENĖ,
THE SPREAD OF PUBLISHING HOUSE PRODUCTION OF LITHUANIAN UNIVERSITIES
,
Knygotyra: Vol. 62 (2014): Knygotyra
-
Dana Bădulescu,
Dan Cristea,
Reading Books Differently
,
Knygotyra: Vol. 70 (2018): Knygotyra
-
VIESTURS ZANDERS,
ACTIVITIES OF THE FIRST LATVIAN PUBLISHERS (1860–1900)
,
Knygotyra: Vol. 52 (2009): Knygotyra
-
INGA LIEPAITĖ,
NIJOLĖ ŠULGIENĖ,
FATE OF VACLOVAS BIRŽIŠKA’S ALEKSANDRYNAS AND OTHER MANUSCRIPTS AFTER THE END OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR
,
Knygotyra: Vol. 58 (2012): Knygotyra
-
Lara Lempertienė,
PEOPLE AND BOOKS OF STRASHUN LIBRARY
,
Knygotyra: Vol. 69 (2017): Knygotyra
-
ŽIEDŪNĖ ZAVECKIENĖ,
A SIGNIFICANT MONOGRAPH ABOUT PROFESSOR VACLOVAS BIRŽIŠKA
,
Knygotyra: Vol. 60 (2013): Knygotyra
-
Tadas Žižiūnas,
Spectroscopy for Questioned Documents Examination: Case Study of Suprasl Abbey‘s Chancery
,
Knygotyra: Vol. 70 (2018): Knygotyra
-
Inga Strungytė-Liugienė,
Educational Activities of Wilhelm Andreas Rhenius (1753–1833) in Klaipėda and the First Lithuanian Translations of English Religious Literature
,
Knygotyra: Vol. 76 (2021): Knygotyra
-
ASTA KRAKYTĖ,
VILNIUS ACADEMICAL COMMUNITY AND ITS LIBRARY IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY: THE IMPACT OF THE IMPERIAL GOVERNMENT
,
Knygotyra: Vol. 51 (2008): Knygotyra