Survey of archival collections relating to Dunin-Martsinkevich
Belarusian collections
The main role in identification and systematisation of documentary sources relating to V. Dunin-Martsinkevich is played by the Belarusian State Archives-Museum of Literature and Art (BGAMLI). The largest part of these records are held in the collection of L.A. Bende (fond 66); in all, 40 fonds. These can be classified in the following groups:
- Articles by L. Bende about the life and activity of V. Dunin-Martsinkevich
- Documents concerning V. Dunin-Martsinkevich’s biography
- Handwritten transcripts and copies of V. Dunin-Martsinkevich’s works by B.I. Epimakh-Shipila and L. Bende
- Articles about V. Dunin-Martsinkevich by different authors
Noteworthy among the records in the L. Bende collection is the Vilna Censorship Committee File concerning V. Dunin-Martsinkevich’s translation into Belarusian of A. Mitskevich’s “Pan Tadeush” (f. 66, op. 1, d. 989), which reveals the tragical history of the publication of “Pan Tadeush” in Belarusian translation. There are the page proofs with editor’s corrections from the Belarusian publishing house in St. Petersburg “Zagliane sontsa i u nasha vakontsa” (fonds 3, the Belarusian Ivan Lutskevich Museum), the translation of the first chapters of “Pan Tadeush” transcribed by B. Epimakh-Shipila in 1893 from the edition printed by Syrkin in Vilna in 1859, which is now preserved at the Jagiellonian Library in Cracow, an electronic copy of the earlier unknown handwritten transcript of V. Dunin-Martsinkevich’s “Hapon” found at the N. Kopernik University Library in Torun, Poland in 2004.
The National Historical Archives of Belarus (NIAB) holds many documents concerning Dunin-Martsinkevich’s biography. The present online exhibition gives the description of only 69 such records for the years 1802-1876. The earliest of these are the parish records for the baptism of Vincent Jakub Dunin-Martsinkevich on 23 January 1808 at the Parish Catholic Church in Bobruisk and his second baptism at the estate of Paniushkavichi on 25 July 1808. A considerable part of NIAB records are genealogical records and documents confirming the noble origin of V. Dunin-Martsinkevich: the genealogical charts from 1826 and 1832, the family lists from 1816 and 1842, edicts, extracts, minutes, applications and other documentary material for the years 1832-1854.
The Archives holds a number of records relating to the estate of Lutsynka near Ivenets, which the Dunin-Martsinkevich family acquired from the land judge A. Sialiava in 1840, the deed of purchase of 6 April 1840, a file concerning the mutual claims of A. Sialiava nad V. Dunin-Martsinkevich; an 1840 application to the Civil Court Chamber for the deed of purchase; applications for loan, reports, a permission for the mortgage of the estate of Lutsynka; poll-tax revision listings (census records) from 1845 for the peasants at the estate of Lutsynka, a file concerning the purchase of land by peasants at the estate of Lutsynka from V. Dunin-Martsinkevich; an 1862 charter for the estate of Lutsynka, etc.
The applications and report from 1834 have survived which confirm that V. Dunin-Martsinkevich served as a clerk at the Roman Catholic Consistory in Minsk. The parish transcript from the Minsk Trinity Catholic Chirch testifies to the birth and baptism of V. Dunin-Martsinkevich’s children: daughter Emilia (b. 31 October 1835), son Miraslau Edvard (b. 2 October 1837), daughter Yaugenia Emilia (b. 25 December 1835), daughter Zofia Alitsia (b. 12 March 1840), daughter Tsezarina (b. 16 August 1841).
NIAB records illustrate the participation of V. Dunin-Martsinkevich and his family in the 1863 Uprising. There is an alphabetical list of persons who participated in the uprising with indication of their confiscated, sequestrated and arrested property which shows at No10 the landlord of Minsk district V. Dunin-Martsinkevich, whose estate of Lutsynka was sequestrated on 14 March 1864 and arrested on 8 December 1864; a document issued by the Governor of Minsk’s Office informing that landlord Vintsent Martsinkevich was released from police supervision “with ban of residence in the capital cities and metropolitan provinces” dated 28 May 1876, and others.
The Belarusian State Archives of Films, Photographs and Sound Recordings (BGAKFFD) holds a number of photographs depicting V. Dunin-Martsinkevich and his daughter Kamila, pictures of the scenes from “The Nobility of Pinsk” staged at the people’s theatre in Gomel in 1967, pictures of monuments and places connected with Dunin-Martsinkevich, sound records of the musical and theatrical performances based on his works.
A considerable part of records relating to V. Dunin-Martsinkevich are held in the repositories of other countries. Thanks to the efforts of Belarusian scholars the largest part of these have been identified and published.
The first country in this list is Lithuania.
- The Historical Archives in Lithuania holds:
– The Belarusian School District Trustee’s Office File 1838 “On appointment of Vikenty Dunin-Martsinkevich as a clerk in the Minsk School Directorate and his dismissal” (f. 567, op. 2, d. 4241);
– The General Governor of Vilna’s Office File concerning the issue of foreign passport to V. Dunin-Martsinkevich (f. 378, d. 1158);
– The General Governor of Vilna’s Office File “On nobleman Vikenty Martsinkevich’s application for the enrollment of his daughter and son at an educational institution to study music at public expense” (f. 378, d. 93);
– The Audit Office File “On the collegiate registrar Vikenty Martsinkevich” (f. 1248, op. 1, d. 689);
– The General Governor of Vilna’s Office File “With correspondence relating to books, brochures, journals, appeals and other discreditable publications” (f. 378, d. 10, politics division, 1889).
The collection of the noted ethnographer and specialist in folklore Ya. Karlovich contains the text of the comedy “Pinskaia shliakhta” (The Nobility of Pinsk), a letter by V. Dunin-Martsinkevich’s daughter Kamila Asipovich, etc. (f. 1135, op. 10, d. 219).
- The Archives of Literature and Art in Lithuania holds the unique
autographs of V. Dunin-Martsinkevich’s two versed letters to U. Syrakomlia (f. 69, op. 1,
d. 101).
- The manuscript department at the Library of the Academy of Sciences of Lithuania
(archives of Zavadskis’ Firm) holds:
– four letters from V. Dunin-Martsinkevich to the publisher and book seller from Vilna A. Zavadski (f. 7, d. 743);
– letters from V. Dunin-Martsinkevich to M. Argelbrant (f. 7, d. 1824);
– letters to A. Kirkor (the A. Zaushtaut collection. F. 273, d. 1752), etc.
The manuscript department at the Institute of Russian Literature in Russia holds the writer’s letter to the editorial office of “Vilenski Vestnik” including the beginning of his “Bylitsy, Raskazy Navuma” (The Folk Tales, Navum’s Stories) (f. 569, № 337, archivist M.F. De-Pule). In due time this rare item was found by the Belarusian scholar G. Kisialeu and thanks to this nearly 50 lines of the work were restored.
The A. Elski collection at the National Library of Poland holds an original copy of the poem “Z-nad Islachi, abo Leki na Son” (Over the River Islach or Medicine at Bedtime) identified by the Belarusian researcher A. Maldis in 1964.
A detailed description of the history of all works by V. Dunin-Martsinkevich can be found in G. Kisialeu’s work “Spastsigaiuchy Dunina-Martsinkevicha” (Minsk, 1988).