Archival documents on Yakub Kolas’s life and work

Collaboration with figures in Art and Literature

Letter from Kolas to the newspaper Nasha Niva requesting for publication of his works. 2 June [1912] Autograph of Kolas. (The Kolas Literary Memorial Museum, the “Manuscripts” Collection)
Letter from Kolas to the Belarusian writer and public figure V. Lastouski concerning his creative plans. Pinsk. 16 December [1912-1914] Autograph of Kolas. (BGAMLI, fond 3, inv. 1, file 223, folio 1-1rev)
Kolas among members of the commission of the Institute of Belarusian Culture (S. Nekrashevich, I. Zamotsin, Ya. Kolas, B. Epimakh-Shypila, A. Gurlo–first row; V. Machulski, I. Plashchynski, M. Baikou–second row). Minsk. 1927. (BGAKFFD, 0-117828)
Kolas’ corrections for the first section of the poem “The New Land” (for translation into Russian). 1933. Autograph of Kolas. Russian. (The Kolas Literary Memorial Museum, the “Manuscripts” Collection)
Letter from Kolas to the Russian poet and translator S. Gorodetski concerning his translation of the long narrative “The Marsh” into Russian, about the appearance of the third edition of the poem “The New Land”, and on purity of literary language. Minsk. 25 April 1934. Autograph of Kolas. Russian. (BGAMLI, fond 9, inv. 2, file 39, folio 1-2)
The Union of Soviet Writers Membership Card of Yakub Kolas, signed by M. Gorki. Moscow. 8 May 1934. Russian.. (The Kolas Literary Memorial Museum, the “Personal Archive of Yakub Kolas” Collection)
Kolas speaking at the International Congress for the Defense of Culture. France, Paris. 1935. (The Kolas Literary Memorial Museum, the “Photodocuments” Collection)
Ya. Kolas and the Belarusian writer K. Krapiva with members of the Second Belarusian State Drama Theatre (BDT-2). Vitsebsk. [1937] Copy. (BGAMLI, fond 212, inv. 1, file 257, folio 1)
Ya. Kolas reading the play “War Against War” before the actors of the Second Belarusian State Drama Theatre (BDT-2). Vitsebsk. 1937. (BGAKFFD, 0-117830)
Ya. Kolas with the Belarusian writers Ya. lich, P. Brouka and Z. Biadulia. Moscow. [29 January – 2 February 1939] (The Kolas Literary Memorial Museum, the “Photodocuments” Collection)
Ya. Kolas during the Decade for Belarusian culture in Moscow. 1939. (BGAKFFD, 0-134507)
Ya. Kolas and O. Garadavikov, Kalmyk writer and Civil War Hero, listening to the Kalmyk folk epic “Janggar”. Moscow. 1940. (BGAKFFD, 0-112369)
Letter from Kolas to the Russian poet and translator S. Gorodetski concerning work on translation into Belarusian, together with the Belarusian poets M. Tank and A. Kuliashou, of the national anthem of the Soviet Union. Detail. 7 January 1944. Autograph of Kolas. Russian. (BGAMLI, fond 9, inv. 1, file 148, folio 1rev)
Letter from Kolas to the Belarusian writer M. Klimkovich with corrections of proofs for the poems “The New Land” and “Symon the Musician”. Minsk. 27 January 1946. Autograph of Kolas. (BGAMLI, fond 44, inv. 1, file 473, folio 1)
Yakub Kolas, the Belarusian writer A. Kuliashou and the Russian poet A. Prokofiev. 8 March 1946. Drawing in chalk by S. Gorodetski. (BGAMLI, fond 9, inv. 2, file 119, folio 6)
Letter from Kolas to the Russian translator P. Siamynin with explanation of Belarusian words and expressions in the poem “The New Land”. 17 July 1946. Autograph of Kolas. Russian and Belarusian. (BGAMLI, fond 9, inv. 1, file 11, folio 1-1rev)
Kolas with the Belarusian writers M. Klimkovich, Ya. Maur, P. Brouka, N. Panchanka, A. Bachyla, M. Auramchyk, M. Luzhanin, A. Astapenka etc. 1947. (BGAMLI, fond 200, inv. 1, file 89, folio 1)
Letter from Kolas to the Russian poet and translator S. Gorodetski concerning work on his poem “A Fisherman’s Hut” and the short poems printed in Berlin. Detail. 22 January 1947. Autograph of Kolas. Russian. (BGAMLI, fond 9, inv. 2, file 70, folio 1rev)
Letter from Kolas to the Russian poet and translator S. Gorodetski informing of his arrival in Moscow and giving high evaluation of F. Dostoevsky’s talent. Minsk. 30 December 1947. Autograph of Kolas. Russian and Belarusian. (BGAMLI, fond 9, inv. 2, file 79, folio 1rev)
Kolas with a group of Belarusian writers on Red Square in Moscow. 1948. (BGAKFFD, 0-126423)
Letter from Kolas to the Russian poet and translator S. Gorodetski concerning his meeting with the Russian writer A. Fadeev and the beginning of work on the third book of the Palessie series. Minsk. 29 February 1948. Autograph of Kolas. Russian. (BGAMLI, fond 9, inv. 2, file 80, folio 1-1rev)
Ya. Kolas, the Belarusian writer K. Krapiva and the Russian writer K. Simonov presiding over the Third Congress of Belarusian Writers. Minsk. 15 September 1954. (BGAKFFD, 0-124277)
Kolas speaking at the Third Congress of Belarusian Writers. Detail. Minsk. 15 September 1954. Sound recording (voice of Kolas). Magnetic tape. Duration 22:17 mins. Speed 38. Reel 1. (BGAKFFD, 0016)
Kolas’ speech at the Second All-Union Congress of Soviet Writers. December 1954. Print. Russian. (BGAMLI, library, collected works in 14 volumes, vol. 12, pp. 256-261)
Kolas and the Polish writer W. Branewskі. Minsk. 1955. (BGAKFFD, 0-83679)
Kolas and the Belarusian men of letters, P. Brouka, A. Staver and Ul. Karatkevich, at the conference of young writers at the Union of Belarusian Writers. 1955. (BGAMLI, fond 56, inv. 1, file 37, folio 2)

Abbreviations:

BGAKFFD Belarusian State Archives of Films, Photographs and Sound Recordings
BGAMLI Belarusian State Archives-Museum of Literature and Art