Maxim Tank was a Belarusian poet and translator. He was Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic 1965-1971. He took an active part in political life in Western Belarus during the Polish occupation. After the reunification of Western Byelorussia Maxim Tank was a correspondent for the newspaper "Vileyskaya Pravda".
Background
M.Tank’s creative path was not easy but he managed to become a prominent and original master of word. The historical cataclysms of the time divided his literary fate in two parts. The first part embraces the 1930s when his native place (he was born in the village of Pilkovschina, the Myadzel district of the Minsk Region) was a part of Poland. As a participant in the revolutionary movement in Western Belarus he was frequently arrested. And the second one started from 1939, when he was writing and publishing in the conditions of the Soviet power. M.Tank did not get a higher education; he only graduated from a gymnasium ( high school) in Vilna. But he read a lot and was very demanding towards himself. So, the poetic culture of his verses was high as early as in the 1930s.
In 1931 he published his first works. His early poetry collections Na etapah (Prisoners at Transportation Stations), Zhuravinavy tsvet (Cranberry Colour) were influenced by the liberation movement of the people in Western Belarus and combined realistic everyday and romantic visions of life. Maksim Tank’s lyrical hero is an ordinary village fellow, yet a rebel, a prisoner that will not submit to the bondage and will firmly stick to the idea of the struggle for social and national justice. A powerful elements of all alive, beautiful and especially of natural forces pulsated in his works, full of metaphorically bright figurativeness.
In post-war decades an earthy element of M.Tank’s poetry became stronger. He had a talent for discovering the beauty in everyday and simple things. ‘The path lullabied by the rye’, ‘digging potatoes in the rain’, ‘singeing the carcass of a hog’, ‘a drink of well water’, ‘bread’, ‘pines’, ‘a cradle’, ‘a potter that is kneading clay patiently’, and ‘mother’s hands’ – these were the basic image-making objects which led the author to the people’s world and the depth of its spiritual life. In the process of his creative development, M.Tank was gradually refusing from the traditional verse form with its light rhythm and rhyme. Probably, such a structure seemed to be flippant and limiting the possibilities of deep penetration into the sense of life. M.Tank gradually began to use a free form of verse expression, the socalled ‘vers libre’ (free verse), which is close to prose. It seemed effective in conveying thoughts and philosophic reflections on the eternal truths of a Belarusian’s being and his moral values. M. Tank was thoughtful by nature, unhurried in his decisions and acts, wise and optimistic. He appreciated everything natural and healthy. He felt deep affection for his favourite lake Narach, which serves a dear poetic sign in all his creative works.
M.Tank translated works of A.Pushkin, A.Mickiewicz, J.Slowacki, U.Mayakovsky, W.Broniewski. His works have been translated into many languages. The State Pedagogical University has been named in his honour. His collected works were published in 1978-1981 in 6 volumes. According to M.Tank’s will he was buried in his native village Pilkovschina next to his family.
Education
In 1923 Yevgeniy went to the Shklenikovskaya primary school. He studied very well. In the fall of 1925 his father transferred him to the Svatkovskaya school. He took an active part in the school drama group, was fond of painting: he painted still lifes, landscapes, made reproductions of paintings and postcards. He also read a lot. In 1926 he enrolled in the 3rd grade of Russian private gymnasium in Vileyka. The program included the study of God's Law, Polish language and literature, Russian language and literature, Latin and German languages, mathematics, geography and natural sciences. In early 1929, he arrived in Vilna school named after A. Pushkin, but then he was excluded because took part in a strike.
Career
Tank began to write poems when he was a gymnasium pupil. In 1931 he published his first works. His early poetry collections Na etapah (Prisoners at Transportation Stations), Zhuravinavy tsvet (Cranberry Colour) were influenced by the liberation movement of the people in Western Belarus and combined realistic everyday and romantic visions of life.
At the end of 1933, while in prison, with the support of political prisoners published a handwritten journal "Moles", where his poems and works of other imprisoned poets were placed. In 1935 in Vilnius he began to write a poem "Naroch". In 1936 with the help of Communist Party of Western Belarus his first collection of poems "On Stages", in 1937 - "The Cranberry Colour" and "Naroch", in 1938 - "Under the Mast" were published. His books "On stages" and "Naroch" were confiscated by the Polish authorities.
After the war he worked in the "Vozhyk" journal. From March 1948 to 1966 Maksim Tank worked as chief editor of the "Polymya" journal. From 1966 to 1990 worked as a first secretary and then as a chairman of the Union of Writers of Belarus.
In 1932-1933 he worked as an instructor of the Komsomol of Western Belarus, operated the revolutionary work in Vilnius and Novogrudok. He was repeatedly detained by Polish authorities.
Views
Quotations:
"Самая страшная вещь — безразличие. Если с ним не бороться, оно, как трясина, может погубить любого человека."
"Народ может простить писателям многое, но не может простить молчания во времена, когда решается его судьба."
Personality
He was a very modest person. He was a jack of all trades, made everything with his own hands. Another important quality of Maksim Tank - he did not divide the world into good and bad people, and treated all of them equally well.
Quotes from others about the person
С.Калина: «Ягоная творчасьць, што паўстала на працягу ўсяго трох апошнiх гадоў, улiла ў нашую лiтаратуру зусiм новыя плынi, выявiла аграмадныя мастацкiя дасягненьнi, напасьледак намецiла новы, адказуючы духу часу i варункам сучаснага жыцьця мастацкi i iдэёвы кiрунак. Беларуская лiтаратура дзякуючы Танку перажывае сёньня, пасьля «нашанiўскай» пары i ейнага прадаўжэньня, свой другi рэнэсанс, тым iншы за першы, што паколькi Купала i Колас, могучы мала карыстаць з лiтаратурнай спадчыны сваiх папярэднiкаў, мусiлi перадусiм тварыць i замацоўваць наш лiтаратурны быт, патолькi сёньня распачынае нашая лiтаратура эпоху поўнай дасканаласьцi, асягіваючы агульнаэўропэйскую ступень разьвiцьця»
Interests
Reading
Connections
He was married to Lyubov' Skurko. They had a son Maksim Skurko and two twins Ira and Vera
Father:
Ivan Skurko
Mother:
Domna Skurko
Son:
Maksim Skurko
Wife:
Lyubov' Skurko
Daughter:
Vera Skurko
Daughter:
Ira Skurko
Sister:
Vera Skurko
Sister:
Liudmila Skurko
Brother:
Fyodor Skurko
References
250 People from Belarus in the Dialogue of Cultures
The aim of this book is to study the way in which dialogues and understanding develop between cultures and civilizations, by exploring the contributions of individuals born in Belarus, a country at a crossroads in the geographical heart of Europe.