Pyotr Ustinovich Brovka (, ; − 24 March 1980) was a

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

Belarusian poet, more commonly recognized by his literary pseudonym Petrus Brovka (also transliterated from Belarusian as Piatrus Brovka or Pjatrus Broǔka).

Biography

Brovka was born into a large and poor peasant family in Putilkovichi, a settlement in present-day Ushachy Raion, Vitebsk Region, on 25 June 1905. His first published works were printed in 1926, and the young poet briefly served as executive secretary of a local newspaper in 1927."25 чэрвеня - 100 год з дня нараджэння П.У. Броўкі (1905-1980), народнага паэта Беларусі, грамадскага дзеяча"
("June 25 - 100 Years Since the Birth of P.U. Brovka (1905-1980), People's Poet of Belarus, Public Figure"). National Library of Belarus. 2005. Retrieved 9 July 2009. In 1928 he enrolled in the Literature-Linguistics Department of Belarusian State University, graduating in 1931. Brovka joined the

Communist Party of the Soviet Union The Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU),. Abbreviated in Russian as КПСС, ''KPSS''. at some points known as the Russian Communist Party (RCP), All-Union Communist Party and Bolshevik Party, and sometimes referred to as the Soviet ...

in 1940. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Brovka's mother was among the Belarusian people sent to

Auschwitz Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It consisted of Auschw ...

by the occupying Nazi forces. Brovka himself wrote for the partisan press and published in the army newspapers, lauding the fighting effort of the Soviet people. He was recognized by the Soviet government with the Stalin Prize in 1947, the same year that Brovka was elected chairman of the Writers' Union of the

Byelorussian SSR The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR, Byelorussian SSR or Byelorussia; ; ), also known as Soviet Belarus or simply Belarus, was a republic of the Soviet Union (USSR). It existed between 1920 and 1922 as an independent state, and ...

(a position that he would hold until 1967). Brovka reputation as a Soviet and Belarusian poet continued to grow during Brovka's subsequent decades in Minsk after the war. The fullest apex of his literary talents is considered to be his final decades in the 1960s and 1970s. Brovka was awarded the prestigious

Lenin Prize The Lenin Prize (, ) was one of the most prestigious awards of the Soviet Union for accomplishments relating to science, literature, arts, architecture, and technology. It was originally created on June 23, 1925, and awarded until 1934. During ...

after his completion of the poetry volume ''And Time Goes On'' in 1962."Petrus Brovka". ''Fifty Soviet Poets''. Ed. Ognev, Vladimir & Dorian Rottenberg. Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1969. . P. 86. In 1966, Brovka edited the first volume of the '' Byelorussian Soviet Encyclopedia'', the year he was given the title of People's Poet of the

Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR, Byelorussian SSR or Byelorussia; ; ), also known as Soviet Belarus or simply Belarus, was a Republics of the Soviet Union, republic of the Soviet Union (USSR). It existed between 1920 and 19 ...

. He was elected a full member of the Belarusian Academy of Sciences in 1966. Apart from literary work, he served several terms as a representative of the

Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union The Supreme Soviet of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (SSUSSR) was the highest body of state authority of the Soviet Union (USSR) from 1936 to 1991. Based on the principle of unified power, it was the only branch of government in the So ...

, but maintained his literary career even as a political delegate. Some of his later verses made their way into Soviet pop music when they were adapted by the Belarusian Soviet folk rock band

Pesniary Pesniary (also spelled Pesnyary, , ) was a popular Soviet Union, Soviet Belarusian folk music, folk rock VIA music, VIA. It was founded in 1969 by guitarist Vladimir Mulyavin. Before 1970, the band was known under the name Liavony (Лявоны). ...

. Brovka was awarded the title

Hero of Socialist Labor The Hero of Socialist Labour () was an honorific title in the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact countries from 1938 to 1991. It represented the highest degree of distinction in the USSR and was awarded for exceptional achievements in Soviet ...

in 1972. Minsk's Literary Museum of Petrus Brovka was established in his honor in 1980, when Brovka died at age 74. In 2005,

Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...

issued a postage stamp celebrating the hundredth anniversary of Pyotr Brovka's birth."100 лет со дня рождения Петруся Бровки"
("100 Years Since the Birth of Petrus Brovka"). Information pamphlet no. 17 (2007). BelPost. 17 June 2005. Retrieved 9 July 2009.

Honours and awards

Hero of Socialist Labour The Hero of Socialist Labour () was an Title of honor, honorific title in the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact countries from 1938 to 1991. It represented the highest degree of distinction in the USSR and was awarded for exceptional achievem ...

(1972) *

Order of Lenin The Order of Lenin (, ) was an award named after Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the October Revolution. It was established by the Central Executive Committee on 6 April 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration bestowed by the Soviet ...

(1949, 1965, 1972) *

Order of the October Revolution The Order of the October Revolution (, ''Orden Oktyabr'skoy Revolyutsii'') was instituted on 31 October 1967, in time for the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. It was conferred upon individuals or groups for services furthering communis ...

(1971) *

Order of the Red Star The Order of the Red Star () was a military decoration of the Soviet Union. It was established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 6 April 1930 but its statute was only defined in decree of the Presidium of the ...

(1943) *

Order of Friendship of Peoples The Order of Friendship of Peoples () was an order of the Soviet Union, and was awarded to persons (including non-citizens), organizations, enterprises, military units, as well as administrative subdivisions of the USSR for accomplishments in s ...

(1975) *

Order of the Badge of Honour The Order of the Badge of Honour () was a civilian award of the Soviet Union. It was established on 25 November 1935, and was conferred on citizens of the USSR for outstanding achievements in sports, production, scientific research and socia ...

(1939) *

(1962) - a collection of poems "And the days go by ..." (1961) * Stalin Prizes; **2nd class (1947) - for the poem "Bread" and "Thoughts about Moscow", the poem "The People's thanks", "Brother and Sister", "If I be", "Meeting" **3rd class (1951) - a collection of poems "The Road of Life" * BSSR State Prizes; **1970 - a collection of poems, "Among the red mountain ashes" **1976 - for participation in the creation of the Belarusian Soviet Encyclopedia * Yakub Kolas Literary prize (1957) - for the novel "When the merge of the river" (1957) * People's Poet of the Byelorussian SSR (1966)

References