In 2007, Minsk hosted an international conference that marked the 500th anniversary of representative democracy in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (GDL). The history of Belarusian parliamentarism began with the first meeting of the GDL’s General Council, which should be reestablished in Belarus after centuries of colonization. The conference brought together researchers from Belarus, Lithuania, Poland, the UK and Ukraine. It was a rare opportunity for scientists to mix and share their discoveries. The publication is the first collection of research papers on parliamentarism in the GDL and Rzeczpospolita. One will find it interesting to read and possibly continue research into “Shlakhta democracy” that Belarusians should be proud of. (Z.K.)