Hienadz Buraukin

Who is Hienadz Buraukin?

Hienadz Buraukin is a Belarusian poet, journalist and diplomat.

He was born in the village Shuliacina in Vitsebsk Voblast. 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.

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

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

From 1990 till 1994 Hienadz Buraukin was accredited ambassador of Belarus to the United Nations. In the 1990s Hienadz Buraukin was also head of the Frantsishak Skaryna Belarusian Language Society.

Hienadz Buraukin if 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 and the Janka Kupala State Literature Premium.