Stanislaw Czerski (October 10, 1777 in

Latgale Latgale ( ltg, Latgola; ; ger, Lettgallen; be, Латгалія, Łathalija; pl, Łatgalia; la, Lettgallia), also known as Latgalia is one of the Historical Latvian Lands. It is the easternmost region and is north of the Daugava River. While m ...

Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...

– April 30, 1833 in

Varniai Varniai (; Samogitian language, Samogitian: ''Varnē''; pl, Wornie) is a city in the Telšiai County, western Lithuania. In the Middle Ages the city was known as Medininkai (Samogitian language, Samogitian: ''Medėninkā''). It was established ...

Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...

) was a Polish

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

priest,

graphic artist A graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography, or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for published, p ...

, and translator. Czerski attended Polatsk Jesuit College. In 1794, he became a regular Jesuit, in 1807, a priest. He taught German language at

Vitsebsk Vitebsk or Viciebsk (russian: Витебск, ; be, Ві́цебск, ; , ''Vitebsk'', lt, Vitebskas, pl, Witebsk), is a city in Belarus. The capital of the Vitebsk Region, it has 366,299 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth-largest ci ...

Mahiliou Mogilev (russian: Могилёв, Mogilyov, ; yi, מאָלעוו, Molev, ) or Mahilyow ( be, Магілёў, Mahilioŭ, ) is a city in eastern Belarus, on the Dnieper River, about from the border with Russia's Smolensk Oblast and from the bor ...

Polatsk Polotsk (russian: По́лоцк; be, По́лацк, translit=Polatsk (BGN/PCGN), Polack (official transliteration); lt, Polockas; pl, Połock) is a historical city in Belarus, situated on the Dvina River. It is the center of the Polotsk Distr ...

Orsha Orsha ( be, О́рша, Во́рша, Orša, Vorša; russian: О́рша ; lt, Orša, pl, Orsza) is a city in Belarus in the Vitebsk Region, on the fork of the Dnieper and Arshytsa rivers. History Orsha was first mentioned in 1067 as Rsha ...

Jesuit colleges and Vilnius gymnasium. In 1814, he was a canon of Brest. Between 1819 and 1821, Czerski visited Paris, Germany, England, Italy for the scientific study tasks assigned by

Vilnius University Vilnius University ( lt, Vilniaus universitetas) is a public research university, oldest in the Baltic states and in Northern Europe outside the United Kingdom (or 6th overall following foundations of Oxford, Cambridge, St. Andrews, Glasgow and ...

. In 1814, he became a canon of

and in 1825, he was a priest in

Salantai Salantai () is a small town in Lithuania. It is located in the Klaipėda County, Kretinga district. Etymology Salantai is named after the Salantas River, which runs through the town. History Salantai area was known to be inhabited since the B ...

. It was here where he established wooden engraving workshop for making the maps and artworking the books. In 1822 he engraved Vilnius map in copper according to

Georg Braun Georg Braun (also ''Brunus, Bruin''; 1541 – 10 March 1622) was a German topo-geographer. From 1572 to 1617, he edited the ''Civitates orbis terrarum,'' which contains 546 prospects, bird's-eye views and maps of cities from all around the ...

's Atlas, made in 1550, two vignettes for the Latin–Polish dictionary. He participated in the

Uprising of 1831 The November Uprising (1830–31), also known as the Polish–Russian War 1830–31 or the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. The uprising began on 29 November 1830 in W ...

and was arrested. Czerski wrote in Polish and Latin. He translated fables by Phaedrus into Polish and '' Ode to God'' by

Gavrila Derzhavin Gavriil (Gavrila) Romanovich Derzhavin ( rus, Гаврии́л (Гаври́ла) Рома́нович Держа́вин, p=ɡɐˈvrilə rɐˈmanəvʲɪtɕ dʲɪrˈʐavʲɪn, a=Gavrila Romanovich Dyerzhavin.ru.vorb.oga; 14 July 1743 – 20 ...

into Latin
Carmen de Deo
in 1815), published the history of the land of

Samogitia Samogitia or Žemaitija ( Samogitian: ''Žemaitėjė''; see below for alternative and historical names) is one of the five cultural regions of Lithuania and formerly one of the two core administrative divisions of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...

with engraved maps of Samogitian episcopate and Salantai parish, created Latin-Polish dictionary, wrote about lexicography issues.

References

Stanislovas Čerskis’ Journey Across Western Europe Between 1819 And 1821 (Summary)

Karol Hoffman: Krajoznawcy polscy
* ''Stanislovas Čerskis'', in Lietuvių literatūros enciklopedija
J. Giżycki: Materyały do dziejów Akademii Połockiej i szkół od niej zależnych

Rys dziejów literatury polskiej
(tom. 5, p. 244; 1878) -- short biography and list of works of Stanisław Czerski, on Google Books {{DEFAULTSORT:Czerski, Stanislaw 1777 births 1833 deaths 18th-century Lithuanian Jesuits Polish translators 19th-century Polish Roman Catholic priests Jesuit College in Polotsk alumni