Yanka Kupala

In January 1916, Kupala got married to a woman named Uladzislava Frantsauna Stankevich.

The poet died in 1942, after slipping off the staircase at Hotel Moskva, in Moscow. Though the death was declared as an accident, there are speculations of him having been assassinated by informers of Stalin, the Soviet dictator.

Belarusian literature courses include a specialised area called ‘Kupalaznaustva’ which is a detailed study of the poet’s work. His poems and plays are also a part of the curricula in the country’s schools.

Yanka Kupala was born to Daminik Anufryevich and Bianigna Ivanauna, on July 7 (O.S. June 25), 1882, in Viazynka, near Maladzyechna, in Belarus. The young child was christened Ivan Daminikavich Lutsevich, and registered as a member of the noble Lutsevich family.

Though belonging to the gentry, Ivan’s family were reduced to landless labourers. The family consisted of many children, and young Ivan was the eldest. In the 1870s, the family was displaced and had to move from one village to the other for sustenance.

As a schoolboy, Ivan was drawn by the charms of Belarusian folklore that was taught in the various schools he attended. In 1898, he completed his education from a public school in the district of Bialaruchi.

In 1902, his father passed away, and Ivan started working odd jobs like tutoring, helping at shops and keeping records.

In 1903-04, Kupala used the pen name ‘K-a’ to write his first major Polish poem titled ‘Ziarno’.

During this time, the budding poet took a major decision to start writing in Belarusian. On July 15, 1904, he wrote his first Belarusian poem called ‘Мая доля’ (‘My Destiny’). The poem spoke about the common man and his journey through a life of oppression.

In 1905, another poem, ‘Мужык’ (‘Peasant’) was printed by ‘Severo-Zapadnyi Krai’, a Belarusian newspaper. This poem dealt with a village labourer who is faced with issues of confidence and self-respect.

From 1906-07, several other poems by Yanka, written in his native language, was published by the Belarusian weekly, ‘Nasha Niva’.

The poet settled down in Vilnius, the capital city of Lithuania, Northern Europe, in 1908, and published a compilation of poems titled ‘Жалейка’ (‘The Little Flute’). The book was seized and Kupala was arrested on claims that his poetry was against the Czar and his government.

Amongst the numerous poems and plays that Kupala has written, ‘Ад сэрца’ (‘From the Heart’) is one of the most popular works. The collection contains a poem titled ‘The Destiny of Taras’, which describes the life of famous Ukrainian writer, Taras Shevchenko. The book also contains other poems that had been penned during 1937-39, eulogising the Soviet rule.