BGAMLI Participates in the Presentation of the Book «Born by War and the Virgin Lands» at the Yakub Kolas Museum

On September 30, 2025, the Yakub Kolas State Literary and Memorial Museum hosted the presentation of the collection «Born by War and the Virgin Lands». This publication was the result of a joint project between the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Writers’ Unions of Kazakhstan and Belarus, the Belarusian State Archive-Museum of Literature and Art (hereinafter referred to as BGAMLI), the State Museum of the History of Belarusian Literature, and the Yakub Kolas State Literary and Memorial Museum.

The book explores Belarusian-Kazakh ties and contacts in literature, which began in 1936, when the Plenum of the USSR Writers’ Union was held in Minsk. During the war, Kazakhstan became home to thousands of evacuated Belarusians, including prominent figures in our cultural sphere. Among the Red Army soldiers and partisans who courageously fought against the Nazi invaders in Belarus were renowned Kazakh writers—Adi Sharipov, Zhuban Muldagaliyev, and Sagingali Seitov. In the postwar years, Kazakh-Belarusian literary contacts multiplied and expanded.

Twenty-two documents from the Belarusian State Library of the Belarusian Literature and Art (BSAMLI) collections were selected for the project, and 63 electronic files were transferred to the publishing house. These are primarily creative documents from the collections of Belarusian poets and translators Maxim Tank, Arkady Kuleshov, Pimen Panchenko, Sergei Grokhovsky, Yazep Semezhon, Mikola Khvedorovich, Naum Kislik, and others. The materials presented include autographs of poems in Belarusian, translations into Kazakh, letters, photographs, and speeches by Kazakh writers.

E.A.Makarenko, Director of the Archives and Museum, welcomed the event participants, emphasizing the importance of Belarusian-Kazakh cooperation in culture and archival affairs. V.V.Birulya, Head of the Department of Information, Publication, and Document Use at the Belarusian State Museum of Literature and Art, shared the specifics of identifying documents for the collection «Born by War and the Virgin Lands».

V.V.Mitskevich, Chief Curator of the Yakub Kolas State Literary and Memorial Museum, detailed the multifaceted ties between Belarusian and Kazakh writers, focusing on the role of Yakub Kolas in developing these ties.

Belarusian poet and publicist N.Ya.Galperovich spoke about the significance of the project and read his poem, adding a special lyrical note to the evening.

The presentation of the book «Born by War and the Virgin Lands» was a significant event, highlighting the deep cultural ties between Belarus and Kazakhstan.

1. During the speech of E.A.Makarenko

2. During the speech of V.V.Birulya

3. Director of the Yakub Kolas Museum I.V.Matyas and Director of the Belarusian State Museum of Literature and Art E.A.Makarenko

4. During the speech of V.V.Mitskevich

5. During the speech of N.Ya.Galperovich