Updated at 17:53,27-03-2024

Poet Henadz Buraukin passes away

Belsat

Famous Belarusian poet Henadz Buraukin died in Minsk on May 30 at the age of 77. He had suffered from cancer.

Henadz Buraukin was born on August 28, 1936, in the village of Shulyatsina, Rasony district, Vitsebsk region. Mr Buraukin published his first poem in 1952. In 1959 he graduated from the Belarusian State University, Faculty of Journalism.

A winner of the Yanka Kupala State Prize in 1980, Mr Buraukin published about 20 books of verse and prose. In the Soviet era, he worked for newspapers Pravda and Litaratura i Mastatstva (Literature and Art). The poet was the editor-in-chief of the literary magazine Maladosts and headed the State Television and Radio Committee of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. Henadz Buraukin was a translator, literary critic, cultural professional. He wrote scripts of documentary and feature films, texts of songs, including famous Kalychanka (Lullaby).

He served as Belarus’ permanent representative to the United Nations between 1990 and 1993 and deputy minister of culture in the following two years. He managed to build the Belarusian Television in the Belarusian language, but as Mr Buraukin harshly criticised President Aliaksandr Lukashenka’s policies, supported democratic forces and invited opposition leader to participate in TV programs he was released from the position. He was a member of Belsat TV public supervisory board.

Lukashenka's regime has never recognised the poet's services and merits; he was on the authorities' black list of cultural professionals.