September 29 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of the poet, translator, critic and local historian Uladislay Syrakomlia (1823-1862).
Uladislay Syrakomlia (Ludvik Frantishek Uladislay Kandratovich) entered the history of Belarusian and Polish literature as the author of highly artistic poetic works, historical and literary works, outstanding translations.
He was born in the village of Smolgovo, Bobruisk district, Minsk province (now a village in the Lubansky district of Minsk region). A representative of the Kandratovich gentry family of the coat of arms of "Syrokoml", whose name later became his writer's pseudonym. The young man studied at Dominican schools in Nesvizh (1833-1835) and Novogrudok (1826-1837), worked in the Nesvizh Office of the Radziwill Estates Administration (1841-1844). Here he had the opportunity to get acquainted with classical literature, periodicals, archives of the Radziwills.
For the first time he appeared in the Vilna magazine "Athenaeum" with the poem "The Postman" (1844), in which he described the life tragedy of a common man. The work gained great popularity, was translated into Russian and after a while became a popular song "When I served as a coachman at the post office ...".
Uladislay Syrakomlia’s literary heritage is quite large. He wrote poems, poetry, conversations from folk life, plays, historical and literary works, translated Latin poets of the XVI-XVIII centuries.
Uladislay Syrakomlia always emphasized the unity of his work with the interests and aspirations of ordinary people, turned to the historical past, described the beauty of Belarusian nature with great skill. A number of his prose works are devoted to the problems of the history, ethnography and language of Belarusians. "Traveling through my former neighborhood" ("Вандроўкі па маіх былых ваколіцах"), "A brief study of the language and nature of the poetry of the Rusyns of the Minsk province" (in Polish), "Minsk", "Neman from the sources to the mouth" (in Polish), notes on the past of Nesvizh, local history articles in periodicals are among them. The writer's poetic and prose works are still being printed. The love of a small homeland, the history of the region, the spiritual beauty and wisdom of Belarusians are shown there.
His poems were translated into Belarusian by A. Abukhovich, Ya. Luchina, Ya. Kupala, A. Pavlovich, G. Levchik, M. Mashara, U. Duboyka, M. Luzhanin, K. Tsvirko, V. Markhel, etc. Composer S. Monyushko wrote about 20 songs and romances based on his poems, the most popular of them were "Morning Song", "Song of the Headman", "Spikelet", "Rural Lyre Player", full of subtle lyricism and admiration for the Belarusian nature, etc.
Sincere honour and tribute to the memory of the famous poet are immortalized in memorials in his honor, poems dedicated to the "rural lyre". Streets in Grodno, Minsk, Novogrudok, Nesvizh and other cities are named after him.
Information about the life and work of Uladislay Syrakomlia, bibliographic information can be found in the information resources of the National Library of Belarus: E – catalogue and online encyclopedia "Belarus in persons and events".
The material is provided by the Research Department of Bibliography.
