Uladzimir Karatkievič Author and Playwright (also, "Karatkevich"; Уладзімір Сямёнавіч Караткевіч) (November 26, 1930 - July 25, 1984)

Photo Credit: See Below.

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Uladzimir Karatkievič

Uladzimir Karatkievič (Vladimir Korotkevich) was born in 1930 in Orša, Viciebsk region. In 1954 he graduated from the Philological Department of Kiev University and taught first in a village school in the Kiev region of Ukraine and then in his home town, Orša (Belarus). Later, he completed advanced literature courses (1960), and then cinematography (1962), both in Moscow. Literature then became his chief occupation.

His first published work was a poem that appeared in 1951, that was later followed by three collections of verse. (Refer to the Belarusian language version, below, for more details of his publications.) Later, he turned to prose, and had since published a large number of short stories, in collections entitled Chazenia, The Eye of the Typhoon, From Past Ages, and others. He also wrote the novels Unforgettable and The Dark Caste Olshansky. His novels deal predominantly with Belarus's historical past, including the Uprising of 1863-1864.

Karatkievič also wrote a number of plays, essays, articles, screenplays for short and feature films, and some very interesting detective and adventure stories.

Karatkievič's literary works are marked by romanticism, rich imagery, and emotionalism. A recipient of several national literary awards, he has strongly affected the further development of historical themes in Belarusian literature.

The novella The Wild Hunt of King Stakh (Дзікае паляванне караля Стаха)

Probably Karatkievič's most popular work is the novella The Wild Hunt of King Stakh (Дзікае паляванне караля Стаха; 1964). In it he retells the experiences of a very old Belarusian ethnographer who in his youth in the 1890s seemed to have encountered a sinister Belarusian legend at first hand: a silent ghostly hunting party racing through the Palessian marshes near a decrepit castle, apparently with the aim of vengeance for earlier wrongs. The novella is quasi-Gothic in genre (the narrator even mentions Mrs. Ann Radcliffe--the famous Gothic novelist of the 18th century--in order to deny her influence), but with strong elements of not only mystery but also adventure, spiced with a strong dose of social commetary (some of it, possibly, with the Soviet censor in mind) administered by the free-thinking narrator. Appropriately, in view of the latter's profession, the novel also offers a cornucopia of ethnographical and historical detail as well as some very precise descriptions of the (essentially gloomy) natural environment in which the various apparently unnatural adventures are set. . .

. . . Дзікае паляванне караля Стаха works at every level. As a story of Gothic horror and terror, a detective story, a love story, a portrait of an old culture in sad decay, suffering partially from self-inflicted wounds, and despite that, as an affirmation of the viability of Belarus as a godforsaken but nonetheless fascinating country.

• The Wild Hunt of King Stakh (Дзікае паляванне караля Стаха was released as a movie (BelarusFilm) in 1979, with Karatkievič co-authoring the screenplay, along with the director. Sad to say, it is not a very good interpretation, with even more "nods" to the Soviet Censors, apparently. Possibly a limited budget was one of the causes for the film's shortcomings. Few of the extensive references to Belarusian language, history, and culture survived the change in media. In addition to Russian-language only releases now on DVD, you can buy versions for non-Russian-speaking audiences with audio in several languages and subtitles in a few more languages, released by RUSCICO (2005). However, the audio quality isn't all that great (distortions, rising/falling levels, poor frequency range, etc.), and the video quality is mediocre as well. Nonetheless, considering how few films portray Belarusian culture and history, this is a film to include in one's video collection. Some day (soon I hope!) someone will see the value of bringing to screen the story as Karatkievič' envisioned it and wrote it; it has fantastic potential for the screen--and especially so for Belarusians.


• Belarusian, English, and Russian language versions of this novella are available from the Беларуская Палічка Web site. (Note: The English language version apparently has some of the text missing--probably errors in scanning the document for the Internet.)


• The Belarusian National Opera includes Vladimir Soltan's (Libretto by S.Klimkovich) interpretation of The Wild Hunt of King Stakh in their repertoire:   King Stakh's Wild Hunt, an opera in two acts.


• To download a PDF version of a dual language (Belarusian and English, side by side) version of this novella, click the following link: The Wild Hunt of King Stakh. The file size is approximately 2 MB, and you can download Acrobat Reader or a similar program for free from many Web sites (if you don't already have an appropriate reader program). (Note: The Belarusian and English language versions included in the PDF are from the Беларуская Палічка Web site, and the English language version has some text missing--probably errors in scanning the document for the Internet.)

The novel Ears of corn under your sickle (Каласы пад сярпом тваім)

The novel which meant most to the author himself was undoubtedly Kałasy pad siarpom tvaim (Каласы пад сярпом тваім; Ears of corn under your sickle; 1965). It exists in two books, "Vyjście krynic" (Release of the sources) and "Siakiera pa drevie" (An axe on wood), both of which were published in Połymia in 1965. Although Karatkievič often spoke about two further books which were "almost completed" in manuscript, they appear to have been lost. What we have, however, stands as the most accomplished of all of his novels in terms of historical and social breadth, skilful and sensitive characterization, superb landscapes, vivid language and imagery, as well as mastery of plot construction.

In this, his longest work, Karatkievič is again attempting to recreate as fully as possible, an historical period combining real and fictional events and characters with a very strong input of his own views and beliefs. The period is that of the Warsaw Uprising of 1861 and the Emancipation of the Serfs in the same year. The author seeks to show the socio-political and psychological background to Kastuś Kalinoŭski's Uprising of 1863-64. Kalinoŭski himself plays a small role in the novel, but the main character is Prince Aleksandr (Aleś) Zahorski, scion of a free-thinking Belarusian noble family, whose youth and upbringing are described in loving detail, as he becomes more and more aware of his national identity and of the injustices suffered by his people. Brought up in a family of peasants, as had been the custom for sons of Belarusian noble families in the 18th century, he learns to see the world through the eyes of the simple Kahut family who later become his friends and fellow revolutionaries. It is also by listening to their language and reading old manuscripts that he becomes convinced that Belarusian is the language of his people.

Karatkievič has explained that he had to write such a long novel because of the ignorance of Belarusian history among many of his fellow countrymen, and the educational function of this wide-ranging and highly referential book is very evident. . . . [In addition,] Karatkievič stresses Belarus's rich cultural heritage, and the struggle of patriotic Belarusians like Zahorski to defend it in the face of constant cultural and political pressure from Russia and Poland. The picture of the growth of Belarusian national consciousness in Kałasy pad siarpom tvaim is a convincing and inspiring one, as is that of the difficult relations between the peasants and nobles. Early in the novel, a peasant band attacks the estate of one of the landowners who is plotting the Uprising (Jarasłaŭ Raŭbič) and the latter is nearly killed in the process -- the majority of those peasants who contemplate rebellion (as opposed to reporting the dissident nobles to the Russian authorities) are members of a somewhat elemental force known as the "forest people," led by the wild and unpredictable rebel Korčak.

It is clear from this novel that some kind of uprising was bound to happen, and almost equally clear that it was bound to fail. . . .

Kałasy pad siarpom tvaim is the most richly textured of Karatkievič's prose works. Apart from the ubiquitous metaphors, the writer uses an exuberant palette of colors, revelling in visual and aural effects. His language is a heady mixture of Mahiloŭ dialect, colloquial and literary Belarusian, and highly bookish elements, the feeling of superabundance being increased by the constant digressions into byways of imagery. . . .

• Sources: The preceding summary was compiled from: Home Fires (1986), p. 320; The Historical Dictionary of Belarus (1998), pp. 130-31; and Belarusian Literature in the 1950s and 1960s (1999), pp. 243-82.
• In the preceding summary, terms in bold refer to other entries in the Historical Dictionary of Belarus. The Historical Dictionary of Belarus is an important summary of the history of Belarus.

Уладзімір Караткевіч

Уладзімір Сямёнавіч Караткевіч нарадзіўся 26.11.1930 г. у горадзе Оршы Віцебскай вобласці ў сям'і служачага.

У час Вялікай Айчыннай вайны быў у эвакуацыі ў Пермскай вобласці, пасля ў Арэнбургу. У 1944 г. вярнуўся ў Оршу, атрымаў сярэднюю адукацыю. У 1954 г. скончыў філалагічны факультэт Кіеўскага універсітэта імя Т. Р. Шаўчэнкі. Настаўнічаў у вёсцы Лесавічы Тарашчанскага раёна Кіеўскай вобласці (1954— 1956), у Оршы (1956—1958). Скончыў Вышэйшыя літаратурныя (1960), Вышэйшыя сцэнарныя курсы (1962) у Маскве. З 1962 г. жыў у Мінску. Член СП СССР з 1957 г. Узнагароджаны ордэнам Дружбы народаў.

Памёр 25.7.1984 г.

Першыя вершы апублікаваў у 1951 г. (аршанская раённая газета «Ленінскі прызыў»). У 1955 г. верш «Машэка» быў змешчаны ў часопісе «Полымя». Выйшлі зборнікі паэзіі «Матчына душа» (1958), «Вячэрнія ветразі» (вершы і паэма, 1960), «Мая Іліяда» (1969), «Быў. Ёсць. Буду.» (вершы і паэмы, 1986).

Аўтар зборнікаў апавяданняў і аповесцей «Блакіт і золата дня» (1961), «Чазенія» (1970), «Вока тайфуна» (1974), «З вякоў мінулых» (1978), раманаў «Каласы пад сярпом тваім» (1968), «Хрыстос прызямліўся ў Гародні» (1972), «Нельга забыць» («Леаніды не вернуцца да Зямлі», 1982), «Чорны замак Альшанскі» (увайшлі аднайменны раман і аповесць «Зброя»), (1983), аповесці «У снягах драмае вясна» (1989). Для дзяцей выдаў «Казкі» (1975) і нарыс «Белавежская пушча» (1975). Аўтар п'ес «Млын на Сініх Вірах» (пастаўлена на тэлебачанні ў 1959), «Званы Віцебска» (1977, пастаўлена ў 1974), «Кастусь Каліноўскі» (1980, пастаўлена ў 1978), «Калыска чатырох чараўніц» (апублікавана і пастаўлена ў 1982), «Маці ўрагану» (1985, пастаўлена ў 1988; аднайменны мастацкі фільм — рэжысёр Ю. Марухін, 1990). У 1988 г. выйшаў зборнік п'ес «Старыя беларускія хронікі».

Напісаў сцэнарыі кароткаметражных фільмаў «Сведкі вечнасці» (1964), «Памяць каменя» (1966), «Будзь шчаслівай, рака» (1967), сцэнарыі мастацкіх фільмаў «Хрыстос прызямліўся ў Гародні» (першапачатковая назва «Жыціе і ўзнясенне Юрася Братчыка», з В. Бычковым, 1967), «Чырвоны агат» (1973), «Дзікае паляванне караля Стаха» (з В. Рубінчыкам, 1979), «Чорны замак Альшанскі» (з М. Пташуком, 1984). На тэлебачанні і радыё па яго творах пастаўлены шэраг спектаклей. Па лібрэта Караткевіча пастаўлена ў Беларускім тэатры оперы і балета опера «Сівая легенда» (кампазітар Д. Смольскі, 1978), а паводле яго аповесці «Дзікае паляванне караля Стаха» — аднайменная опера (кампазітар У. Солтан, 1989).

Выступаў як публіцыст і крытык. Напісаў нарыс «Зямля пад белымі крыламі» (1977, першае выданне — на ўкраінскай мове, Кіеў, 1972), эсэ «Мсціслаў — Мстнславль» (1985), эсэ, артыкулы пра Ф. Скарыну, Т. Шаўчэнку, Лесю Украінку, М. Агінскага, Я. Купалу, М. Багдановіча, М. Шолахава, Я. Брыля, У. Калесніка М. Лужаніна, Р. Барадуліна, В. Зуёнка, А. Наўроцкага, Я. Сіпакова. Выйшлі Выбраныя творь у 2 тамах (1980) і Збор твораў у 8 тамаэ (1987—1991). Працаваў як перакладчык. На беларускую мову пераклаў драму М. Карыма «У ноч зацьмення Месяца» (пастаўлена ў 1972), аповесці Э. Гашпаравай «Цяжка быць мустангам» (1981), паасобныя творы Дж. Байрана, А. Міцкевіча, І. Франка, Я. Судрабкална, Б. Мацкявічуса і інш.

Лаўрэат Літаратурнай прэміі СП БССР імя І. Мележа (1983) за раман «Нельга забыць» («Леаніды не вернуцца да Зямлі»), Дзяржаўнай прэміі БССР імя Якуба Коласа (1984, пасмяротна) за раман «Чорны замак Альшанскі».

Belarusian Language Bio Source & Photo Credit: Беларускія пісменнікі (1917—1990): Даведнік (1994), pp. 261-63.

Other Links and Information

• See his works at   Уладзімір Караткевіч   on the Belaruskaja Palichka (Беларуская палічка) Web site. Note: This page includes links to works in English and other translations.


• Belarusian, English, and Russian language versions of the novella The Wild Hunt of King Stakh (Дзікае паляванне караля Стаха) are available from the Беларуская Палічка Web site. (Note: The English language version apparently has some of the text missing--probably errors in scanning the document for the Internet.)


• To download a PDF version of a dual language (Belarusian and English, side by side) version of the novella The Wild Hunt of King Stakh (Дзікае паляванне караля Стаха), click the following link: The Wild Hunt of King Stakh. The file size is approximately 2 MB, and you can download Acrobat Reader or a similar program for free from many Web sites (if you don't already have an appropriate reader program). (Note: The Belarusian and English language versions included in the PDF are from the Беларуская Палічка Web site, and the English language version has some text missing--probably errors in scanning the document for the Internet.)


• See a Web site dedicated to him and his writing at   Был. Есть. Буду. Уладзімір Караткевіч. (Only the Belarusian and Russian versions are available. The English version isn't on the Internet yet.)


• The Belarusian National Opera includes Vladimir Soltan's (Libretto by S.Klimkovich) interpretation of The Wild Hunt of King Stakh in their repertoire:   King Stakh's Wild Hunt, an opera in two acts.