Vincent Dunin-Marcinkievič was a Belarusian writer, poet, dramatist and social activist. He wrote both in contemporary Belarusian and Polish languages and is considered as one of the founders of the modern Belarusian literary tradition and national school theatre.
Background
Vintsent Dunin-Martsinkievich was born in a Belarusian Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth nobel family (szlachta) in the region of Babruysk.
Vintsent Dunin-Martsinkyevich was accused by the police in separatist propaganda during the January Uprising. He was arrested but later set free but kept under supervision by the police. His daughter, Kamila Marcinkievič, participated in the uprising and was sentenced to the psychiatric hospital for her political activity.
The writer was buried in Tupalshchyna, now it's Valozhyn region.
Education
Vincent finished Babruysk district school, studied in Saint-Petersburg for some time under the care of his relative, the archbishop S.Bohusz-Siestrzencewicz. The young Dunin-Martsinkevich entered the Medical and Surgical Academy in St Petersburg but abandoned his studies because he could not stay in the anatomy room.
Career
From the mid-1820s, Dunin-Martsinkevich lived in Minsk, worked as an assessor in the land court, a clerk in the criminal court, a translator for the Ecclesiastical Catholic Consistory, and had a post at the Assembly of the Nobility.
In 1831, he married a lawyer's daughter, Yuzefa Baranovska, with whom he had seven children. In 1840, he purchased a small estate of Lutsynka in the Minsk district (now the village of Malaia Lyutsynka in Volozhyn district, Minsk region), where he settled after leaving the public service.
The data exist that at the beginning of the 1840s Dunin-Martsinkevich served a steward on the estate of Shchaury in Senno district, Mogilev province. Later he traveled through the whole Belarus as an agent handling the affairs of his clients, for he had experience of work with legal documents. He spent a lot of time in Minsk, where he was active in social and cultural life.
His greatest care was establishing the truly national theatre. He wrote the one-act play Jewish Recruitment, and an operetta based on it was staged in 1841. V.Dunin-Martsinkevich performed the principal part in it.
The central place in V.Dunin-Martsinkevich drama works belongs to Syalyanka, defined by the author as an opera. He wrote it in the early 1840s; in 1846, it was published as a separate book. Then a long work on its staging started, which lasted for several years. S. Moniuszko and K. Krzyrzanowski composed the music. The cast consisted of the writer’s daughters Camilla and Malvina, his son Miroslav, as well as Krzyrzanowski, Lewdanski, Lopat, Kobylinski, Prushynski and others, overall more than twenty people. A choir was formed of peasants of the village of Lyutsinka near Valozhyn, where V.Dunin-Martsinkevich bought an estate in the 1840s and spent much time there. An orchestra was formed, too. The premiere was on February 9, 1852 in Minsk. This date was the start of a new period in the history of Belarusian theatre.
The production of the Syalyanka has a wide resonance in the press. The authorities, however, forbade further performances. The play continued to be performed in private apartments or in adapted premises in Minsk, Babruysk, Slutsk, Hlusk and other places. The performances are known to take place until 1856.
With no hope to have any other chance to perform for the large audience V.Dunin-Martsinkevich wrote plays of a more chamber character, meant for the so-called ‘home theatre’. V.Dunin-Martsinkevich felt the particular pressure from the government after the suppression of the 1863–1864 uprising led of K. Kalinousky. Having been accused of active support to the uprising, of the circulation of appeals and proclamations, V.Dunin-Martsinkevich was arrested and imprisoned for over a year. Though he defended himself resourcefully and his guilt had not been proved, it was forbidden for him to stay in Minsk.
He was forced to live permanently in Lyutsinka under police surveillance. In Liutsinka V.Dunin-Martsinkevich established a school for peasant children, where his daughter taught. According to the memoirs of one of its former pupils Yadvigin Sh., who became later a famous writer, V.Dunin-Martsinkevich wrote for every holiday a new play, which he used to stage at the school and to perform to local people.
Politics
V.Dunin-Martsinkevich felt
the particular pressure from the government after
the suppression of the 1863–1864 uprising led of K. Kalinousky. Having been accused of active support
to the uprising, of the circulation of appeals and
proclamations, V.Dunin-Martsinkevich was arrested
and imprisoned for over a year. Though he defended
himself resourcefully and his guilt had not been
proved, it was forbidden for him to stay in Minsk.
He was forced to live permanently in Lyutsinka
under police surveillance.
Personality
He was a very energetic, efficient, cheerful, and witty person. Those
features draw to him other artistic persons, attracted
many people. He was a friend with the ‘country lyre
poet’ Wladyslaw Syrakomla, as well as with the
famous composer Stanislaw Moniuszko. In the course
of time, V.Dunin-Martsinkevich became a leading
figure in the cultural and artistic life of Belarus.
