Ivan Ignatavich Shalmanau was born in a peasants’ family. His father, Ignat Mihailavich, led a stock-breeding farm in kolkhoz, fought in the Great Patriotic war and died near Berlin. His mother, Katsiaryna Fyodarauna, also worked in kolkhoz and brought up five kids alone.
I. Shalmanau served in the Soviet Army (1955-1958). Since 1968 he was engaged in journalism. He took advanced literary course in Moskow (1979-1981) and then, since 1981, he worked on Belarusian radio. The first story “Friends” by I. Shalmanau was
published in the newspaper “Chyrvonaya Zmena” in 1960. Many of his works were based on his personal experience. His characters are young workers (stories “Brick Plant”, “Night Blaze”). The author describes complicated personal
relationships from the point of high moral demands. I. Shalmanau’s stories are translated into Polish and Russian.
