Hienadz Buraukin

Hienadz Buraukin
Buraukin in 2013
Born	Генадзь Бураўкін (1936-08-28)28 August 1936 Vitebsk Region, Rasony District, BSSR
Died	30 May 2014(2014-05-30) (aged 77) Minsk, Belarus
Occupation(s)	Poet, journalist and diplomat

Hienadz Buraukin (Belarusian: Генадзь Бураўкін, 28 August 1936 – 30 May 2014) was a Belarusian poet, journalist and diplomat.

Biography

He was born in the village Shuliacina in Vitebsk Region. In 1959, he graduated from the Belarusian State University.

During his career, he was chief reporter of the Soviet state newspaper Pravda in Belarus. In 1969, he helped Zianon Pazniak to publish several articles on preservation of architectural heritage of Belarus.

From 1972 to 1978, Buraukin was chief editor of the Belarus-wide magazine Maladosts, where he published numerous works of Vasil Bykaŭ and Uladzimir Karatkievich. Being member of the parliament from 1980 to 1990, he was one of the promoters of a law that improved the status of the Belarusian language in BSSR.

From 1978 to 1990, he was chief of State Television and Radio-company of Belarus, but was dismissed from the position for granting broadcasting possibilities for members of the democratic opposition.

From 1990 till 1994, Buraukin was accredited Permanent Representative of Belarus to the United Nations. In the 1990s, Buraukin was also head of the Francišak Skaryna Belarusian Language Society.

Buraukin died from cancer on 30 May 2014 in Minsk at the age of 77.

Literary work and awards

Buraukin was the author of numerous poetic books. Many of his poems became lyrics for songs, including a famous lullaby. For his literature works, he was awarded the Leninist Comsomol Preium of Belarus (1972) and the Janka Kupala State Literature Premium (1980).