Yanka Kupala is a national poet of Belarus. He is a classical author of Byelorussian literature – a poet, a dramatist, a publicist and a translator. He has created about 1500 works.
The creative work of Yanka Kupala is the history, the byelorussian people` s life, their characters and customs. The works of Yanka Kupala were translated into many languages of the world. His poem “Who is going there?” was translated into 83 languages. He is an outstanding person of the XX century because he maintained the devotion to Motherland, national history and language, the necessity to live in the independent state.
The Museum of this national genius is the oldest literature museum of our Republic. It was established in 1944. Today there are more than 36.000 exhibits in the collection of the Museum. Among them there are manuscripts, books, personal things, historical and social objects, unique periodical publications of the beginning of the XX century, works of fine arts, decorative and applied arts. The collection of this literature museum is various and diverse.
Exposition of the museum tell us about the life and the work of Yanka Kupala from his birth and childhood, about his love to national legends and songs, and his pen-name is a result of this love and is devoted to the pagan holiday Ivan Kupala (Kupalie); the basis of this holiday is the legend about the fern flower, the symbol of happiness and well-being.
In the exposition of museum the special place is assigned to the materials about Stalin repressions – the tragedy of the twenties - years of the last century. This period was the tragedy not only for the country but also for Yanka Kupala. The exhibits tell us about the tragic death of the poet in 1942 in Moscow.
There are 4 branches of this literature museum.
The branch “Viazynka” was established in 1948. It is located in 40 km from Minsk among pictorial hills and watercolor byelorussian landscape. It is a small wooden house in which the future poet was born on the 7th of July 1882 – on the holiday Kupalie.
The branch “Levki” is situated at the bank of Dnepr, 28 km from the ancient byelorussian town Orsha. It is the museum with an exposition “Work and life of Yanka Kupala during the Yanka Koupala house museum in VYAZYNKAthirties years”. It is a building of a former forest farm in undamaged state. At this territory there are a restored summerhouse of the poet with memorial interior, his driver` s house and garage with a poet` s car “Chevrolet”.
The branch “Akopy” was established in 1989. It is a former country estate of the poet` s mother, which is situated in 40 km from Minsk in a pictorial nature study corner. This branch is located in a village “Khoruzhentsy”-the former small village “Mihalishky”. It is a specially constructed village house that is typical for the beginning of the XX century.
The branch “Yakimovschina” is situated in 150 km from Minsk. It is located in a unique building – a memorial of wooden architecture of XIX century. Yanka Kupala was living there in 1906-1907. Yanka Kupala was preparing there his first collection of poems “Jaleyka”.