Leanid Marakou

Leanid Marakou (Belarusian: Леанід Маракоў, Russian: Леонид Моряков, also under the following pseudonyms: Vladimir Moryakov, Anatole Sinchukousky and others) — a Belarusian journalist, writer and historian-encyclopedist.

Biography

Born April 15th, 1958 in Minsk. Graduated the Minsk Institute of Radioelectronics in 1986. Worked as a maintenance engineer at the Minsk Computer Plant, then at the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. In the beginning of 1990th, changed his occupation to that of an importer of home and professional electronic equipment for Belarus. Traveled frequently in the North, Siberia, Kazakhstan, Far East, in the Western Europe and United Arab Emirates, became a successful businessman.

In the mid-1990th changed drastically his activities, turning to investigation of fate of his executed by the Bolsheviks uncle, a favourite student of the greatest national poet of Belarus, Yanka Kupala, legendary poet of the 1930th, Valery Marakou. Study of the poet's biography (about which L. Marakou has published [http://www.marakou.by/by/davedniki/valery-marakou.html a monograph] later on), as well as those of other perished relatives had grown into a systematic and professional research of history of all repressed during the Stalin's period cultural and public figures of Belarus. That became also possible due to obtaining of temporary access to the classified archives of the KGB in Belarus.

Marakou is the author of unique encyclopaedic 10-volume directory (15 books, 9 of which have been published by the beginning of 2008) “Repressed literary men, scientists, educators, public and cultural figures of Belarus. 1794-1991” (Belarusian: [http://www.marakou.by/by/davedniki/represavanyya-litaratary.html "Рэпрэсаваныя лiтаратары, навукоўцы, работнiкi асветы, грамадскiя i культурныя дзеячы Беларусi. 1794-1991"] ). This directory contains more than 20,000 biographies of people executed or perished in the Stalin's concentration camps (GULAGs), major and less-known figures of the Belarusian culture of the time. Other milestone works published by Marakou: "Extermination" (Belarusian: [http://www.marakou.by/by/davedniki/vynish.html "Вынішчэнне"] ) - a research book dedicated to repressions committed against Belarusian literary men, "Victims and Executioners" (Belarusian: [http://www.marakou.by/by/davedniki/ahvyary-i-karniki.html "Ахвяры і Карнікі"] ), - a documentary investigation about fate of the victims and their torturers during the period of mass executions of the 1930th, as well as a two-volume reference book "Repressed Orthodox clergymen and priests of Belarus. 1917-1967" (Belarusian: [http://www.marakou.by/by/davedniki/represavanyya-pravaslaynyya.html "Рэпрэсаваныя праваслаўныя свяшчэнна- і царкоўнаслужыцелі Беларусі. 1917-1967"] ).

Marakou is a talented Belarusian writer of prose. His first short stories had been published in 1998. During following years, a series of collections of his short stories arrived. Stories by Marakou usually originate in the years of Stalin's repressions and Brezhnev's stagnation, they trace down fate of people resisting the totalitarian regime. Characters from the books by Marakou are mostly people who stand out by their hate to injustice, uncompromised will to fight for their freedom, for better life. It’s not uncommon for Marakou also to write stories with a thrilling, dynamic plot, often based on the facts from his own biography. Marakou is a member of the oppositional Union of Writers of Belarus, full member of the International PEN, winner of numerous literary awards. Married, has a son and a daughter.

Bibliography

* "Valery Marakou. Fate. Chronicles. Context". Minsk, 1999 ("Валеры Маракоў. Лёс. Хроніка. Кантэкст". Мн., 1999)

* "Extermination. Repressed Belarusian literary men. A reference book". Minsk, 2000 ("Вынішчэнне. Рэпрэсаваныя беларускія літаратары. Даведнік." Мн., 2000)

* "Recusants. Short stories". Minsk, 2001 ("Непамяркоўныя. Апавяданні". Мн., 2001)

* "Recusants - II. Short stories". Minsk, 2001 ("Непамяркоўныя - ІІ. Апавяданні". Мн., 2001)

* "The threesome. Short stories". Minsk, 2001 ("Трое. Апавяданні". Мн., 2001)

* "100 miniatures. On life, death and love". Minsk, 2002 ("100 мініяцюр. Пра жыццё, смерць і каханне". Мн., 2002)

* "100 miniatures. (Translation to the Russian language)". Minsk, 2002 ("100 миниатюр (перевод с белорусского языка)". Мн., 2002)

* "Repressed Belarusian literary men. Encyclopedic dictionary in two volumes". Minsk, 2002 ("Рэпрэсаваныя беларускія літаратары. Энцыклапедычны даведнік у 2 тамах". Мн., 2002)

* “Repressed literary men, scientists, educators, public and cultural figures of Belarus, 1794—1991. Encyclopedic dictionary in 10 volumes (15 books). Volume I—IV". Smolensk, 2003 - Мinsk, 2007 ("Рэпрэсаваныя літаратары, навукоўцы, работнікі асветы, грамадскія і культурныя дзеячы Беларусі. Энцыклапедычны даведнік у 10 тамах (15 кнігах). Т. 1—4". Смоленск, 2003 - Мн., 2007)

* "Just one night". Minsk, 2006 ("Толькі адна ноч (ратапрынтнае выданне)". Мн., 2006)

* "Repressed Orthodox clergymen and priests of Belarus, 1917—1967. Encyclopedic dictionary in two volumes". Minsk, 2007 ("Рэпрэсаваныя праваслаўныя свяшчэнна- і царкоўнаслужыцелі Беларусі, 1917—1967. Энцыклапедычны даведнік у 2-х тамах". Мн., 2007)

* "Victims and executioners. A reference book". Minsk, 2007 ("Ахвяры і карнікі. Даведнік". Мн., 2007)

* "Recusants - III. Third attempt. A novel in short stories". Minsk, 2007 ("Непамяркоўныя — ІІІ. Трэцяя спроба. Раман у апавяданнях". Мн., 2007)

* "Diary of a dead contrabandist. Short stories". Minsk, 2008 ("Запісы забітага кантрабандыста. Апавяданні". Мн., 2008)

* "Recusants - III. Third attempt. A novel in short stories. An authorised translation from the Belarusian language". Minsk, 2008 ("Непримиримые — ІІІ. Третья попытка. Роман в рассказах. Авторизованный перевод с белорусского языка". Мн., 2008)

Links

[http://www.marakou.org Web-site of Leanid Marakou]