Zina Gimpelevich: Ryhor Baradulin (1935-2014). If only Jews were here! The book of respect and friendship

(Abstract, magazine “CULTURE, NATION”, June 2017, issue 18, pp. 65-76)

Vasil Bykov thought of his younger friend Gregory Baradulin the best Belarusian poet of all time. In fact, fellows enjoyed his comic poem no less than “serious, the biblical theme” as well as gratefulness for Baradulin for the development of modern literature critical thoughts, prose, journalism and translation. His legacy to our people: more than 70 books. G. Baradulin was twice nominated as a candidate for the Nobel literature prize. I’m sure only that there is no other than translations of his works into Western languages ​​prevented to get her it. At the same time, he was a talented translator proved not only world-class translations from more than a dozen languages, but his latest book: “To the Jews were only! Book of respect and friendship”.  In this book, which has no analogue in world literature, Baradulin tells about a centuries charity between Christians and Jewish Belarusians, wrote many poems dedicated to God, and 12 essays about Jewish representatives of Belarusian culture. But most importantly, he translated from Belarusian Yiddish (languages ​​Litvak) many beautiful poems, which we never would have known if not of work our poet patriot and man.

Categories: Асобы, Літаратура