Archival documents on Yakub Kolas’s life and work

Public activities

Petition from the villagers of Pinkavichi, Pinsk district, Minsk province, demanding that landlord S. Skirmunt transfer agricultural fields and lakes for their free use, compiled by Kanstantsin Mitskevich, a teacher of people’s school in Pinkavichi. 23 November 1905. Russian. (NIAB, fond 458, inv. 1, file 300, folio 31-31rev)
Report by the Inspector of Public Schools for Minsk Province 6th District to the Director of Public Schools in Minsk Province concerning K. Mitskevich’s participation in peasant disturbances in the village of Pinkavichi, Pinsk district, Minsk province. Pinsk. 3 December 1905. Handwritten on official letterhead stationary. Russian. (NIAB, fond 458, inv. 1, file 300, folio 29-30rev)
Instruction by the Governor of Minsk to the Pinsk District Police Chief on conducting an inquiry into participation of K. Mitskevich, a teacher of Pinkavichi, in peasant disturbances. Minsk. 12 December 1905. Draft on official letterhead stationary. Russian. (NIAB, fond 295, inv. 1, file 7509, folio 775-775rev)
Report by the Pinsk District Police Chief to the Governor of Minsk concerning participation of teacher Mitskevich in compiling a petition, at request of the villagers of Pinkavichi, Pinsk district, Minsk province, to landlord S. Skirmunt with agrarian demands. 9 February 1906. Russian. (NIAB, fond 295, inv. 1, file 7509, folio 777-777rev)
Minutes of session of the Minsk Public Schools Administration concerning the illegal political activities of teachers in Minsk province, including K. Mitskevich. Details. 28 December 1906. Russian. (NIAB, fond 485, inv. 1, file 342, folio 93-93rev)
Resolution of the general meeting of students of the Belarusian State University on electing Ya. Kolas, Ya. lich, professor Picheta etc. deputies to the Minsk City Council. Minsk. 8 March 1929. Typescript. (The State Archives of Minsk Region, fond 6, inv. 2, file 1426, folio 177rev)
Speech by Ya. Kolas and Ya. lich, “Appeal to the Belarusian people”. 17 July 1941. Autographs of Kolas and lich. (The Kolas Literary Memorial Museum, the “Personal Archive of Yakub Kolas” Collection)
Letter from Kolas to the Russian poet and translator S. Gorodetski with reflections on peoples’ fates and expressing belief in victory over the fascist enemy. Tashkent. 17 August 1941. Autograph of Kolas. Russian. (BGAMLI, fond 9, inv. 1, file 145, folio 1-1rev)
Letter from I. Kozlov to the secretaries of the Central Committee of the Communist Party (of Bolsheviks) of Belarus, U. Malin and R. Eidzinau, concerning Kolas’ staying in Tashkent. Kuibyshev. 3 November 1941. Russian. (NARB, fond 4-п, inv. 33а, file 7, folio 4-4rev)
Kolas with a 99-year-old Belarusian partisan, V. Talash. Moscow. 1943. (BGAKFFD, 0-127614)
Kolas at the session of the All-Slavic Antifascist Committee. Moscow. 1944. (BGAKFFD, 0-63044)
Letter from Kolas to the Russian poet and translator S. Gorodetski concerning the Belarus-Poland friendship party in Moscow. 1 February 1944. Autograph of Kolas. Russian. (BGAMLI, fond 9, inv. 1, file 149, folio 1-1rev)
Stenographic record of speech given by Kolas at the city council of Minsk intelligentsia. 16 December 1944. Typescript. (The State Archives of Minsk Region, fond 69-П, inv. 1, file 5, folio 22-24)
Minutes of open meeting of the party organization of the Union of Soviet Writers of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic regarding the admission of K.M. Mitskevich (Yakub Kolas) to the All-Union Communist Party (of Bolsheviks). Detail. 7 February 1945. Typescript. (The State Archives of Minsk Region, fond 309-П, inv. 1, file 1, folio 9-10)
Letter from Kolas to the Belarusian writer M. Klimkovich requesting him to collect the material for an article on the theme of “Soviet Belarus today” intended for publication in foreign media. Minsk. 2 September 1947. Autograph of Kolas. (BGAMLI, fond 44, inv. 1, file 473, folio 2)
Kolas signing the Stockholm Appeal for a ban on nuclear weapons, released at the International Peace Congress. 1950. (BGAKFFD, 0-117971)
Voting report by the district election commission on electing K.M. Mitskevich (Kolas) as Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic from railroad constituency No.148 in Orsha. Detail. 25 February 1951. Typescript. (The State Archives of Vitebsk Region, fond 2000, inv. 1, file 36, folio 33rev-34)
Kolas speaking at the meeting dedicated to the Russian writer Maxim Gorki. Minsk. June 1951. (BGAKFFD, 0-127043)
Kolas’ speech at the unveiling of monument to Yanka lich. Detail. Minsk. 5 September 1951. Sound recording (voice of Kolas). Magnetic tape. Duration 2:10 mins. Speed 38. (BGAKFFD, 0006)
Speech by Kolas, chairman of the Belarusian commission on assistance to the Soviet Committee for Peace, on occasion of collecting signatures for peace. Minsk. 4 November 1951. Sound recording (voice of Kolas). Magnetic tape. Duration 3:20 mins. Speed 38. (BGAKFFD, 0025)
Certificate No.135 issued to K.M. Mitskevich by the Belarusian Committee for Peace. 26 March 1955. Russian. (The Kolas Literary Memorial Museum, the “Personal Archive of Yakub Kolas” Collection)
Kolas opening a celebration meeting dedicated to the death centenary of the poet A. Mitskevich. Minsk. 30 November 1955. (BGAKFFD, 0-111878)
Kolas’ speech at the celebration meeting marking the death centenary of the poet A. Mitskevich. Minsk. 29 November 1955. Sound recording (voice of Kolas). Magnetic tape. Duration 7:34 mins. Speed 38. Reel 1. (BGAKFFD, 0063)
Letter from Kolas to the Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Belarus with proposal on improvement of cemeteries. 23 May 1956. Typescript. Autograph of Kolas. Russian and Belarusian. (NARB, fond 4п, inv. 81, file 1131, folio 42)
Letter from Kolas to the Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Belarus concerning the condition of the Belarusian language in Belarus. 25 May1956. Typed copy. (BGAMLI, fond 9, inv. 2, file 109а, folio 1-7)
Signature of Ya. Kolas, presidium member of the Supreme Soviet of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic, on the questionnaire list attached to the decree of the BSSR Supreme Soviet Presidium. 24 September 1955. Autograph of Kolas. (NARB, fond 968, inv. 1, file 267, folio 26)

Abbreviations:

NARB National Archives of the Republic of Belarus
NIAB National Historical Archives of Belarus in Minsk
BGAKFFD Belarusian State Archives of Films, Photographs and Sound Recordings
BGAMLI Belarusian State Archives-Museum of Literature and Art