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Poetry on TiptoesAndrey Khadanovich attracts hundreds of people with his poems and believes that Lukashenka has saved Belarusian literature.If you want to come to the poetry reading by Andrey Khadanovich, it’s not a very good idea to arrive on time. Try to be there half an hour in advance, otherwise you may find yourself packed into the aisle between other fans, who try to get a glimpse of the figure reading poems from the stage, standing on their tiptoes. On February 7, 2008 the main concert hall of the Belarusian Academy of Arts in Minsk was crammed with about five hundred people. A couple of dozen more waited in the hallway, unable to get inside. All of them wanted to be there when the new book of poems Berlibry was presented. Who is Andrey Khadanovich, the poet, who attracts such enormous audiences in Minsk and elsewhere in Belarus? Often called the most vivid discovery of Belarusian modern poetic scene, Khadanovich was born in 1973. He teaches French literature at the Belarusian State University, as well as in the Belarusian Lyceum, the school that was closed down by the authorities several years ago. Khadanovich’s poetry is clearly post-modernistic. He rhymes his lines in perfect manner, creating some kind of DJ-mix out of his own thoughts and well-known quotations from the classic Belarusian and Soviet poetry or lyrics of Western rock hits. He skillfully weaves the web of elaborate word games, which will inevitably catch your attention. Unexpected combinations of familiar sayings create numerous new meanings. This, however, makes it extremely difficult (if not to say — impossible) to translate his poems into other languages. “If you want to define poetry, then this is what goes lost in translation,” Khadanovich likes to say. Nevertheless he is fond of translation himself, and even teaches a translation workshop in the Belarusian Colegium (semi-underground independent education community in Minsk). On February 7, Khadanovich has presented a book of his vers libre. He has finally turned to this new genre, not bound by the rhymed form, which gives us hope that some day we may have a decent translation of his works into English. Khadanovich is a one-man orchestra. If you want to save the most boring literature presentation from failure, invite Khadanovich as a guest. He reads poems, sings songs and plays his guitar, and chats with the audience in between. Andrey even raps his poem “Christmas Rap” together with listeners, who eagerly clap their hands in tact. Khadanovich also has a creative partnership with Belarusian rock-band “Indiga” and Belarusian chansonnier Zmitsier Vajtsiushkevich, supplying them with lyrics. He is the first Belarusian poet to have issued his own audio CD. It is titled Abmennik (Currency Exchange Office), and features jazz-poetic improvisations with Belarusian musician Siarhey Pukst. Surprisingly, the very first book by Khadanovich (Letters from under the Blanket) was published in Kyiv– in Ukrainian. His another book From Belarus with love was a bold experiment — printed in Ukraine in Belarusian (!) language, it was actually sold in Ukrainian book shops. Books printed in Belarus followed, but they are not always easy to find in the country. Khadanovich is one of those writers, whose books are allowed to be printed by private publishers, but are often prevented from being disseminated in Belarus. These authors are allowed to write, but discouraged to meet with their readers. In fact, the reading by Khadanovich on February 7 should have originally taken place in the House of Writers in Minsk, but Belarusian authorities prohibited it. Khadanovich was able to find another room in the Belarusian Academy of Arts only with the backing of the Goethe Institut, which, among other cultural activities, also promotes his work. However, such a grave situation has its advantages. Khadanovich believes that, in fact, these are rather favourable conditions for a writer. At times, when there is little truth to be found elsewhere, people tend to look for it in literature. “Perhaps, that is why poetry readings in Belarus attract much larger audiences than in more stable Western democracies”, Khadanovich said in his interview to the radio station Deutsche Welle. “Coming to events such as a literature reading or artistic performance becomes some kind of protest”, says Khadanovich. “People use it to demonstrate their critical position, to interact with the like-minded.” The authoritarian regime has created a new “union of writer,”,whose members have a monopoly of visiting schools and universities as guest lecturers. Independent literature is banned from the state-owned literature magazines. Non-state cultural periodicals like ARCHE or Dzeyaslou find it very difficult to exist in Belarus. They are thrown out of kiosks, you often have no chance to subscribe to them, and it is mostly the untamed energy of their editors, which helps to keep these magazines coming to people. In fact, Khadanovich is confident, that in some way Lukashenka has saved Belarusian literature. “He created such harsh conditions for its existence, that only writers who are most talented, energetic and genuinely interested in Belarusian literature remained faithful to it.” When opposition protests flared up in Minsk in March 2006, the wife of Khadanovich burst into tears after the conversation with her father, who believed every single word of lies broadcast on the state-owned television. “I realized that I simply couldn’t stand such situation and went to October square”, says Khadanovich. He doesn’t consider himself to be a hero or a revolutionary, but he was indeed one of active participants of the protests. One could often see him in the tent camp, talking to people, reciting poems or even organizing an improvised poetic workshop. Quite a daring thing to do for a professor who teaches at a state university! Source: http://www.democraticbelarus.eu (Office for Democratic Belarus Office, Brussels), Febr. 17, 2008 This article appeared in Belarusian Review, Vol. 20, No.1 --------------------------------------------- Copyright 2008 Belarusian Review All rights reserved. belarusianreview@hotmailcom Ales Kudrycki
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