Adam Maldzis

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Adam Maldzis
Адам Мальдзіс
Ashmyany District, Poland (now in Astraviec District, Belarus)
DiedJanuary 3, 2022(2022-01-03) (aged 89)
EducationDoctor of Philology
Alma materBelarusian State University
Occupation(s)Historian, literary critic, author and journalist
Employerthe Institute of Literature of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus
AwardsBelarusian Democratic Republic 100th Jubilee Medal

Adam Maldzis (Belarusian: Адам Мальдзіс, 7 August 1932 – 3 January 2022) was a Belarusian historian, literary critic, author and journalist. He was described as "a patriarch of Belarusian humanities", "an excellent connoisseur of literature" and "a living bridge between Belarus and the scholars of Belarusian studies around the world". He was “the author of unique studies of the Old Belarusian literature [be]”.[1]

Life and career

Maldzis was born in the village of Rasoly, Oszmiany District, Poland (now in Astraviec District of Belarus) – a place on a cross-road of "different influences – national, religious and cultural".[2] At school he began publishing articles in children's periodicals.[2]

He earned a degree in journalism from the Belarusian State University followed by postgraduate studies at the Yanka Kupala Institute of Literature of the Belarusian Academy of Sciences. In 1962–1991, Maldzis worked at the Institute of Literature of the Academy of Sciences of Belarus. His main academic interest and specialism was in Belarusian-Polish and Belarusian-Lithuanian literary connections.[3]

Maldzis and Vera Rich, at the Francis Skaryna Library in London, 1989

Despite strict ideological control in the Soviet Belarus, Maldzis managed to publish a review of Arnold McMillin's A History of Byelorussian Literature from Its Origins to the Present Day (1977) – the first English-language history of Belarusian literature.[4]

In 1982, Maldzis was the first scholar from the Soviet Belarus to spend a considerable amount of time at the Belarusian Library in London working with the materials unavailable to researchers at home due to censorship.[4]

In 1990, he made a public statement – the first in the BSSR – calling for the acknowledgement of the important and positive role of the Uniate Church in the history of Belarus.[5]

In 1987, Maldzis became the head of the restitution commission of the Belarusian Cultural Fund. In 1991, he founded the International Association of Belarusian Studies. In the same year, he founded the Francis Skaryna National Research and Education Centre; he was its director in 1991–98.[3] Maldzis served on the board of the Association of Belarusians of the World Baćkauščyna (Motherland).[6]

Maldzis died on 3 January 2022, at the age of 89.[7]

Notable works

References

  1. ^ "Памёр літаратуразнавец Адам Мальдзіс" [Literary Critic Adam Maldzis died]. www.svaboda.org (in Belarusian). Archived from the original on 2022-01-03. Retrieved 2022-01-03.
  2. ^ a b "У Ашмянах прайшла сустрэча з беларускім літаратуразнаўцам Адамам Мальдзісам — Ошмяны. Ошмянский вестник. Ашмянскi веснiк" [A meeting with Belarusian literary critic Adam Maldzis was held in Ašmiany] (in Belarusian). 29 November 2011. Archived from the original on 2014-03-26. Retrieved 2022-01-03.
  3. ^
    ISBN 985-11-0169-9
    . Retrieved 2022-01-03.
  4. ^
    OCLC 1032304082
    .
  5. ^ Мальдзіс, Адам (1990). ""Мы павінны зьмяніць свае адносіны да Уніі"" [We should change our perception of the Union]. Унія (in Belarusian) (1). Менск: 21. Archived from the original on 2022-10-14. Retrieved 2022-01-03.
  6. ^ "Сёння ліквідавалі "Бацькаўшчыну" – RH.by" [Today “Backauscyna” was liquidated] (in Belarusian). 2021-09-24. Archived from the original on 2021-09-24. Retrieved 2022-01-03.
  7. ^ "Памёр Адам Мальдзіс" [Adam Maldzis died]. Наша Ніва (in Belarusian). 3 January 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-01-03. Retrieved 2022-01-03.
  8. ^ "Ceremony in Minsk marks 80th birthday of renowned literary scholar Adam Maldzis - EuroBelarus". en.eurobelarus.info. Retrieved 2022-01-03.
  9. ^ "An Unparalleled Authority on the History of Belarusian Literature". blogs.bl.uk. Retrieved 2022-01-03.
  10. ^ "Belarusian researcher Adam Maldzis turned 85". СТВ. Archived from the original on 2022-01-03. Retrieved 2022-01-03.
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