The Belarusian State Archives and Museum of Literature and Art (BSAMLI) Reveals Ivan Shamyakin in a New Light

On April 22, 2026, on the eve of World Book and Copyright Day, the National Library of Belarus organized a cultural and educational event, «Masters of Belarusian Culture. Ivan Shamyakin», at the Labyrinth Gallery. Special guests included: Alexey Rogovtsov and Maria Shamyakin, grandchildren of the classic Belarusian writer; Mikhail Poznyakov, Chairman of the Minsk City Branch of the Union of Belarusian Writers; and Dmitry Samokhvalov, Leading Researcher at the Belarusian State Archives and Museum of Literature and Art (hereinafter BSAMLI).

The main event of the cultural and educational event was the signing of an agreement between the National Library and Ivan Shamyakin’s heirs. A key part of the event included speeches dedicated to the memory of the national writer. In his speech, Dmitry Samokhvalov spoke about the archival legacy of the classic Belarusian writer, housed at the BSAMLI. Ivan Shamyakin’s collection, Collection 154, began to take shape in the 1960s. Today, it is one of the largest personal collections in our country. Furthermore, documents associated with the writer are held in other collections at the Belarusian State Academy of Literature and Art (BSAMLI). A leading researcher demonstrated how archival documents can reveal the classic author’s personality in new, sometimes unexpected ways, and emphasized their importance as an objective source.

1. Speech by Dmitry Samokhvalov

2. Speech by Maria Shamyakin

3. Speech by Mikhail Poznyakov

4. Alexey Rogovtsov, Dmitry Samokhvalov, Maria Shamyakin, Mikhail Poznyakov