Dead Don’t Feel Pain :: Charter'97 :: News

Vasil Bykov had been buried once in the past already. Having returned from the army he came across his name on the mass tomb. However, the destiny was merciful to him: it bestowed him with years upon years of hard but happy life, while our literature received another great writer. Vasil Bykov’s friends – war veterans – oftentimes recall him nowadays.

Grigory BAKLANOV

Vasil Bykov died… It is even painful to say that to myself. I knew that there were not even years or months but days of life left ahead of him. He returned back to Belarus in order to stay forever in his land. He fought during the war against Nazi invasion and later, at the end of his life, found refuge in Germany. What a fate! He used to write to me from there: “I took in their library a journal “Nash sovremennik”, which I hadn’t seen for 15 years, and got absolutely terrified. It brought me back into the cave-men’s era. There was so much hatred and poison there and even more of anti-Semitism. Indeed, if God decides to punish somebody, He takes away his mind.”

Many years ago I wrote in the “Literaturnaya gazeta” about his first war story “Third rocket”. One could realize after reading the book that it was a very talented writer, seeking the truth. Then we met and it turned out that we fought in one front in Hungary. Just as we stood together during the peaceful years in literature. Persecuted by the Soviet regime, he again came under fire with Lukashenko’s getting to power. I said “bye” to him three days before his 79th anniversary, six days prior to his demise: the Belarusian journalists called from Minsk, recorded it on tape and let him listen to that. He was a courageous person: living and dying courageously.

Dear Vasil, the “lukashenkos” will come and pass but you will forever remain the pride of the Belarusian literature and culture.

Daniil GRANIN

Vasil Bykov, Belarus’ great writer, who’s long become a phenomenon of not only Belarusian but even more so of the European literature. I remember well how the country celebrated his 60th anniversary and remember ovations in the Minsk theatre… I also do remember how he had been hunted down before that by the communist agents and in 90ies everything started anew. Bykov’s stories and novels were always critical of the authorities. The current regime is dissatisfied with the fact that Bykov didn’t adore them, denying its lies and demagogy in public. He was ousted from Belarus, living in exile as nomad across Europe. The regime’s outcast, he returned to his homeland to die. They never let him live there, nor prevented his death.

Dear Vasil! For as long as your soul is still somewhere around, accept our love, our mourning, our eternal gratitude for using your bright talent and life itself honestly and courageously for the sake of all.