Tadevush Kastsyushka (Thaddeus Kosciusko) (February 12, 1746 - October 15, 1817) Go to the A Belarus Miscellany Topic List Search the A Belarus Miscellany Web site

From his entry in the Historical Dictionary of Belarus (Zaprudnik, 1998; p. 136):

"Political and military leader with liberal views and great military talent, defender of the Commonwealth, and participant in the American War of Independence. Kosciuszko [Kosciusko] graduated from the Warsaw Cadet Corps (1769) and studied at the Paris Military Academy (1774). He participated as a volunteer in the American War of Independence (1775-1783). In 1784 he returned home and served in the Polish army. As the supreme commander of the Polish forces he led the Uprising of 1794 in Poland, Belarus, and Lithuania, defending the independence of the Commonwealth against Russians and Prussians. Gravely wounded and defeated, he spent two years in a Russian prison, from which he was released in 1796. He died in Switzerland. His body is buried in Krakow, Poland."

"Kosciuszko is celebrated as a Polish and American hero. Belarusan historians point to his Belarusan genealogy. He was born in Belarus and originally christened in the Orthodox rite, hence one of his first names was Andrej."

(Note: In the preceding excerpt, terms in bold refer to other entries in the Historical Dictionary of Belarus. The Historical Dictionary of Belarus is an important summary of the history of Belarus.)

The Uprising of 1794 and Thaddeus Kosciusko

An article about the Uprising of 1794 by George Stankevich, from The Belarusian Review, Spring, 1996 (vol. 8, No. 1).

Note: This article includes several paragraphs about the Belarusian officer who fought for American independence during the American Revolution, Tadevuss Kaxciusska (Thaddeus Kosciusko). Although clearly of Belarusian ancestry, he is claimed as a Polish patriot and hero as well.* Note: Claims by Belarus' neighbors that famous Belarusians are not Belarusians is symptomatic of the serious problem of identity for the nation and people of the Republic of Belarus, and that of the equally problematic issue of self-identity by Belarusians all over the world. Probably the majority of people who have such ancestry are not at all aware of their Belarusian ancestry.

A statue of Kosciusko is on the northeast corner of Lafayette Park, near the White House in Washington, DC (see photo, above). At least one county (in Indiana) and one city (in Mississippi) in the US are named after him as well.

News Article: Sign in Commemoration of Tadeusz Kosciuszko Unveiled in the Ivatsevichi District

"A sign in the memory of Tadeusz Kosciuszko (Tadevush Kastsyushka), the leader of an anti-Russian revolt in Belarus in 1794, has been unveiled in the Ivatsevichi district, the Brest region, on November 12 [1999]."

"Leonid Nesterchuk, an expert of the Brest Regional Culture Department, said that the Brest regional government had planned to put up the sign before June 1998, but work at the place of the monument took longer than expected."

"The ceremony in the village of Kosovo was attended by journalists and historians from Belarus and Poland, Aleksandr Luksha, the author of the monument, and Ivatsevichi district and Brest regional government officials."

" 'Andrey Tadevush Banaventura Kastsyushka, a great son of the Belarusian land who later became a hero of Poland, the United States of America, and a citizen of honor in France, was born here at Marachowshchyna,' says the sign in Belarusian."

"Earlier this month, the Brest government denied registration to the Tadeusz Kosciuszko Foundation, which made a great contribution to the commemoration of the Belarusian patriot. Mr. Nesterchuk, who is the leader of the foundation, said he intended to register a new organization that will study Kosciuszko's life."

Source: BelaPAN, No. 53; Friday, November 12, 1999; 5:30 p.m.

News Article: Monument to Tadevush Kastsyushka to be Erected in His Birthplace

"The Brest regional authorities have allocated 300 million rubels for the erection of a monument to Tadevush Kastsyushka (Tadeusz Kosciuszko), the organizer of the 1794 liberation revolt, one of the most ardent patriots and a Belarusian noble by descent, who later became a hero in the struggle for Polish independence and in the United States of America."

"The issue of erecting a monument to one of the greatest Belarusian heroes at Marachowshchyna in the Ivatsevichi district, Tadevush Kastsyushka's birthplace, was repeatedly discussed at various levels in recent years, but a disagreement over the inscription prevented the project from being carried out."

"At the beginning of this year, the Brest Regional Executive Committee decided that the monument be erected before August 1, but, owing to financial difficulties, only the commemorative tablet to the monument was ready by that date. However, now the executive committee's Department of Culture expects the monument to be unveiled within the next few days. The plaque will have the following inscription in Belarusian: 'Here, at Marachowshchyna, was born Andrei Tadevush Banaventura Kastsyushka, a great son of Belarus, who became a national hero of Poland, the United States of America, and an honorary citizen of France. Grateful descendants of the Brest region. 1998.'"

Source: BelaPAN, No. 94; Friday, August 28, 1998; 6:50 p.m.

News Article: Kosovsky Palace and Thaddeus Kosciusko estate to be restored

"The Brest Regional Executive Committee has granted the Soyuztekhservis Company permission to privatize Kosovsky Palace located at Marachevshchina in the Ivatsevichi district of the Brest region. An appropriate proposal was submitted to the Brest authorities by the Ivatsevichi District Executive Committee, Soyuztekhservis, and the Committee for Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture. The Brest authorities link the measure with a need for 'off-budget investment to restore the palace and the park and reconstruct the Thaddeus Kosciusko estate.' If the Council of Ministers approves the Brest Regional Executive Committee's decision, then Soyuztekhservis will be given 10 years to restore the palace and the nearby estate, which once belonged to Thaddeus Kosciusko (1746-1817), Polish patriot and general in the American Revolutionary army."

"Kosovsky Palace is considered one of the Brest region's most beautiful monuments of 19th-century architecture. The Ministry of Agriculture planned to establish a sanatorium there in the 80s but gave up the idea due to high costs. Later, the Integral production group tried to create a resort there but was unable to obtain permission from the authorities. In the 90s, an agricultural company from Ivatsevichi sought to buy the palace. A few years ago, a contest was announced for those willing to buy the palace but no interesting proposals were received."

Source: BelaPAN, No. 103; Wednesday, January 27, 1999; 6:00 p.m.

News Article: Plaque Stolen from Kosciusko's Birthplace will be Replaced by a Copy Within Days, Police Official Says

"The bronze plaque in commemoration of Thaddeus Kosciusko that was stolen two weeks ago in the hero's birthplace in the Ivatsevichi district, the Brest region, is to be replaced by a new one within days."

"When the theft was discovered, Ivan Ladyga, chief of the Ivatsevichi police, told BelaPAN that it will be a matter of honor to the police to find the plaque because the local residents are proud of their fellow countryman."

"Thaddeus Kosciusko (Tadevush Kastsyushka or Tadeusz Kosciuszko), 1746-1817, was the organizer of the 1794 anti-Russian liberation revolt, one of the most ardent patriots and a Belarusian noble by descent."

"The plaque that was stolen had the following inscription in Belarusian: "Here, at Marachowshchyna, was born Andrei Tadevush Banaventura Kastsyushka, a great son of Belarus, who became a national hero of Poland, the United States of America, and an honorary citizen of France. Grateful descendants of the Brest region. 1998.""

"On April 19, Mr. Ladyga said by telephone that the plaque had not been found and would be replaced by a copy. A local church, where Kosciusko was once baptized, is known to be storing another commemorative slab, donated by Krakow. It was never installed at Marachowshchyna for reasons of prestige. The local authorities chose to raise $3,000 without exterior help to renovate the Kosciusko birthplace and order a plaque, the one that was later stolen."

Source: BelaPAN, No. 81; Wednesday, April 19, 2000; 6:00 p.m.

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