| Uladzimier Niaklajeu Уладзімір Някляеў Владимир Некляев |
|
|---|---|
Uladzimier Niaklajeu |
|
| Born | July 9, 1946 Smarhon, Byelorussian SSR |
| Nationality | Belarus |
| Alma mater | Maxim Tank Belarusian State Pedagogical University, Maxim Gorky Literature Institute |
Vladimir Niaklajeu (Uladzimier Niaklajeu) (Belarusian: Уладзімір Някляеў, Russian: Владимир Некляев) born on July 11, 1946 in Smarhon) is a Belarusian poet and writer, and a head of the public campaign Tell the Truth! ("Гавары праўду!"). He was a candidate for Dec 19 2010 elections in Belarus,[1][2] and, according to Amnesty International, is currently under house arrest for his role in post-election protests.[3]
Contents |
Vladimir Niaklajeu was born on July 11, 1946 in the city of Smarhon in Hrodna district.[4] His father, Prokofiy Niaklajeu, was Russian, and used to work as a mechanic. His mother, Anastasija Mahier, was a Belarusian.[4]
Vladimir Niaklajeu spent his childhood in a small place called Kreva where he finished his first school year.[5] From the 2nd till the 9th school years he was studying at school №1 of Smarhon.[5] From 1961 till 1966 Vladimir Niaklajeu was a student at Higher State Communications College. Having finished the college, he started working in Vladivostok, Taishet, and Norilsk. In 1967 Niaklajeu returned to Belarus and was working as a radiomechanic at Minsk TV custom shop till 1971.[6]
According to the words of Niaklajeu, in Far East, Siberia and in the North he managed to see another country and other people. New impressions passed into the first trials of literature works – his poems. In 1969 Vladimir entered the correspondent department of philology at Minsk Pedagogical Institute and graduated from it in 1973.[5] In 1971 he entered the department of poetry at Moscow Literature Institute. In 1972 Niaklajeu left the Institute and came back to Minsk.[6]
Vladimir Niaklajeu used to work as a journalist and editor in a number of Belarusian mass media editions from 1972 till 1999[6]:
Beginning from the 20th of June 1999 Vladimir Niaklajeu lived in Poland. Having declared in public about his breakup with the official powers, Vladimir Niaklajeu became the first representative of Belarusian culture who had left Belarus under political reasons.[7] He also used to live in Finland. Within the migration period he wrote his novel “Musician”. Niaklajeu returned to Minsk in 2003 after the death of Vasil Bykau.[8]
His first poems Niaklajeu started writing in Russian, being the member of literature association in the newspaper “Znamya Yunosti”. The incitement to change the profession was the trip to Far East and North, after which, coming back home, he decided to enter the Department of Philology. Having left the Literature Institute once he was back from Moscow in 1972, Niaklajeu started writing only in Belarusian. Since 1978 he has been the member of the Union of Writers of USSR.[6]
The first big work by Niaklajeu was his novel “Musician”, written in emigration. The novel presentation took place on September 21, 2003, about which he says the following[8]:
In 2008 in the section “The Voice of Poet” there was edited an audio book with Niaklajeu’s poems read by the author.[18]
In 2009 in the section “Belarusian books overview” one book of Niaklajeu’s poems and prose works was edited with the preface written by Ryhor Baradulin.[19][20]
Philosopher and cultural scientist Valancin Akudovic thinks that "Niaklajeu broke the stereotype that the best poems can be written by the poet in his young years, because the emotions are stronger when we are young. Akudovic believes that the poem “Lozak dla pcaly” English: A Bed for a Bee written by Niaklajeu in his mature age is the best work he had ever written, and one of the best in the entire Belarusian literature. If not the best one ever.”[21]
Vladimir Niaklajeu was a member of the Union of Creative and Scientific Youth under the Central Committee of Belarus Komsomol and a member of Belarusian Theatrical Association.
In 1998-2001 Niaklajeu chairman of the Union of Belarusian Writers (preceded by Vasil Zujonak, succeeded by Volha Ipatava. In May 2010 Niaklajeu became the member of the Union Council.[23]
According to Niaklajeu’s words, after having been appointed to the position of the chairman of the Association of Writers, he had to deal with the president of Belarus Alaksandar Lukasenka who treated Niaklajeu as “the boss over the writers”. At the same time an agreement creating Belarus and Russia Union State was signed, which was not approved by the writers of Belarus, protesting against this decision in public. It was the beginning of the conflict between Lukasenka and Niaklajeu and as a result, Vladimir Niaklajeu had to leave the country.
At the 13th special congress of the Union of Belarusian Writers, Niaklajeu suggested that there should be accepted the resolution to support the oppositional candidate, saying that Lukasenka was in power illegally and had no right to be the candidate for presidency.[5]
In 2005 V. Niaklajeu was elected as the head of Belarusian PEN Center, and on the 10th of April he voluntarily left that position. Andrej Chadanvic became the next head of the Center.
Since February 25, 2010 he was the initiator of the civil campaign “Tell the Truth!”. Niaklajeu thinks that finally in the society there appeared the demand for the true information of the current situation in the country, taking into consideration that the powers are lying, hide the real situation or distort the information.[24][25]
On May 18, 2010 Niaklajeu and two other activists were arrested and kept by the law enforcement agencies of Belarus; about 20 activists of the campaign underwent repressions. Niaklajeu was released on May 21, 2010.[26][27][28]
On November 18, 2010 Niaklajeu had been officially registered as a candidate for presidency to run in the Belarusian presidential election, 2010.[1]
On the day of the presidential elections on December 19, 2010 Niakliayeu was seriously beaten by unidentified men in black when he was on his way to an opposition protest rally in Minsk,[29] sustained a head injury during this beating and was abducted from intensive care by the Belarusian authorities.[30] On January 28, 2011, Niaklajeu was transferred from prison to house arrest whilst still a political prisoner without appropriate medical treatment. Amnesty International has named him a prisoner of conscience and called for his immediate and unconditional release.[3]
Married for the first time in the age of 19. His wife Ludmila was 5 years older than Vladimir and had a child. Niaklajeu and Ludmila stayed together for 35 years. Apart from Ludmila’s daughter Ilona they have a common daughter Eva.[6]
The second wife of Vladimir Olga used to work in the technical department of the magazine “Krynica” at the time, when Niaklajeu was the chief editor. Olga is 20 years younger than Niaklajeu.[33][34]