Viewing BGAMLI Documents During the Week of Parental Love

The personal archives of cultural figures held at the Belarusian State Archive-Museum of Literature and Art (BGAMLI) contain unique documents, many of which tell family stories. In them, famous figures appear first and foremost as the sons and daughters of their parents, as well as caring mothers and fathers to their own children. During the Week of Parental Love, archivists examine photographs, letters, typescripts, artworks, and other documents from the archive-museum’s collections with a special sense of warmth and tenderness. These documents reveal a touching side of these creative individuals—their roles as mothers and fathers.

«I Would Send You My Soul…» — the correspondence between Ryhor Baradulin and his mother Akulina (1954–1971) — makes for moving reading; it is preserved at BGAMLI in the form of numerous original letters and a book that Ryhor Ivanavich himself inscribed «To the literary archive—with respect!» in 2009. The value of these documents lies in the deep emotional bond between mother and son, expressed in words that are simple yet profoundly important to everyone. «After I am gone, no one will pity you or care for you the way I do. I would even feed you milk myself… I would be ready to carry a hundred-pood load on my own shoulders, if only to make things easier for you»—every word from the mother in these letters resonates like a song of love for her son. One of Akulina Andreyeuna’s letters (June 1956) is folded into a triangle, just like wartime letters, with the word «To my son» written on the back. Her son Ryhor—as Borodulin often signed his letters to his mother—dedicated several poetry collections to her; in them, one can discern a mother’s blessing and that constellation sacred to every human being: Mother. Speech. Prayer.

Photographs from the archive of the Vladomirsky acting family bear, on their reverse sides, letters written in 1952 by Vladimir Iosifovich, filled with love for his son Boris: «My dear Boryusha. In two days you turn twenty-nine, my dear, beloved boy, yet to me, you remain that same little son. I often speak of Sashenka, calling him Borenka..». The love of father and grandfather is also reflected in the captions Vladomirsky Sr. wrote on behalf of his young grandson Sasha—Boris’s son, who had been unjustly (and temporarily) left without his father: «My dear Daddy! Grandpa and I went out to meet the cows..». «Daddy! I caught a turkey, and Grandpa and Grandma are helping me hold onto it..».

A wonderful document preserving the warmth of everyday family interaction in the household of Stefaniya Stanyuta is a tear-off calendar that the actress used as a daily journal. Through it, we learn not only of the traditional opening of the 1982–83 season with the famous play «Paulinka» (an entry in Stefaniya’s hand, Friday, September 10), but also that «Mom is to be at the House of Arts—Theater Day, presentation of a diploma for «Verochka» and a monetary prize» (an entry in the hand of her son Alexander, Monday, March 29). Frequent entries such as «spent the night at Shura’s», «at Shura’s—cooked lunch», «picked up pension, paid rent, went to see Sasha», and «went to the market, visited Sasha» highlight the warmth and closeness between Stefaniya and her son, Alexander. The actress’s handwriting also notes an important date connected to her father: «100th anniversary of Dad’s birth—Mikhail Petrovich Stanyuta. Evening event at the House of Arts, 7:30 PM» (Friday, January 29). Entries such as «Dimka had a stomach ache» and «give to Dima: mushrooms, half a chicken, buns, cookies, oranges» bear witness to Stefaniya’s caring nature as a grandmother.

Correspondence between writers Yanka Bryl and Vladimir Koratkevich preserves sincere words of friendly, brotherly sympathy following the loss of Koratkevich’s father: «…I do not remember how I wept for my own father—I was not even seven years old then—but I shall never forget the little chapel where my mother’s funeral service was held in the summer of 1948… Stay strong! A firm handshake. Ya. Bryl. October 4, 1959».

Looking at archival photographs, we notice that cultural figures often took their friends to their native regions—to their family homes. Many writers, artists, researchers, and journalists visited the famous «father’s elm» in Borodulin’s hometown. Inspired by a friendly visit on December 17, 1966, to the village of Pilkovshchina—home to the parents of the poet M.Tank — Ryhor Ivanavich himself composed an impromptu poem. Uladzimir Karatkevich wrote it down on the back of a commemorative photograph:

No sooner had I opened my eyes—
Than I shook off the dust of clichés…
And boldly stepped into the realm of the classics.
Wearing Tank’s sheepskin coat…

Inspired by the displays of warmth and parental love found in archival documents, the archivists sincerely congratulate their colleagues, friends, and reading room visitors on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. They wish everyone a «Week of Parental Love» spent with loved ones—in their parents’ home and on their native soil.

1. Vladimir and Ekaterina Vladomirsky with their grandson Sasha. Stepyanka. August 1952.

2. Ryhor Baradulin beneath the “father’s elm.” Ushachy. 1970s.

3. Calendar pages belonging to Stefaniya Stanyuta, signed by the actress and her son Alexander. 1982.

4. Vladimir Korotkevich wearing a “tanker’s coat.” Pilkovshchina. December 17, 1966.

5. A book of dialogues between Stefaniya Stanyuta and her son Alexander. Translation and reissue, 2005.

6. Correspondence between Ryhor Baradulin and his mother Akulina (1954–71). Published 2009.