Jan Zaprudnik

Belarusian-American historian (1926–2022)

Jan Zaprudnik
Born	9 August 1926 Mir, Poland (now Belarus)
Died	26 May 2022(2022-05-26) (aged 95) Somerset, New Jersey, U.S.
Nationality	Belarusian and American
Occupation(s)	Historian and publicist
Awards	Belarusian Democratic Republic 100th Jubilee Medal (2018)

Jan Zaprudnik (Belarusian: Янка Запруднік / Janka Zaprudnik, real name Siarhej Vilčycki Сяргей Вільчыцкі; 9 August 1926 – 26 May 2022)^[1] was a Belarusian-American historian and publicist. He was also one of the leaders of the Belarusian community in the United States and an honoured member of the Belarusian PEN-centre.

Biography

Jan Zaprudnik was born into a family of school teachers in what was then the Second Polish Republic. During the Occupation of Belarus by Nazi Germany, Zaprudnik graduated from the Gymnasium in Baranavičy and studied at a high school there.

In 1944, Jan Zaprudnik fled to Germany because of his likely persecution for collaboration with invaders by Soviet authorities.^[2]^[3]

In 1954, he graduated from the history faculty of the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium. Later he worked for the Belarusian service of Radio Free Europe.

In 1957, Jan Zaprudnik moved to the United States and was a member of the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic working "to ensure that the world did not forget about the Belarusians and their right to their own independent state".^[4]

In 1969, he received a doctorate in history from New York University about Belarusian representatives in the State Duma of the Russian Empire at the beginning of the 20th century and later worked as a professor in history at several universities.^[5]

Works

Jan Zaprudnik started his publishing in 1947. During his life, he was a correspondent and an editor of many periodicals of the Belarusian diaspora, including the English-language Journal of Belarusian Studies.^[6]

Main works in English are:

Belarus: At a Crossroads in History (1993, ISBN 0-8133-1794-0)
Historical Dictionary of Belarus (1998, ISBN 0-8108-3449-9)

Recognition

Zaprudnik was awarded a Belarusian Democratic Republic 100th Jubilee Medal.^[7]

References

^ Памёр патрыярх беларускай дыяспары ў ЗША Янка Запруднік. Этапы жыцьця і выбраныя цытаты (in Belarusian)
^ Запруднік Янка. ("Zaprudnik, Janka"). Aradžency Biełarusi. 2008. Retrieved 6 August 2009. (in Belarusian)
^ Электронная Бацькаўшчына Бібліятэка (Fatherland Electronic Library). Retrieved 6 August 2009. (in Belarusian)
^ "Івонка Сурвіла: Янка Запруднік шмат зрабіў, каб у свеце не забываліся пра беларусаў (Ivonka Survila: Janka Zaprudnik has done a lot to make sure that Belarusians are not forgotten in the world)(in Belarusian)". Retrieved 27 May 2022.
^ "Памёр патрыярх беларускай дыяспары ў ЗША Янка Запруднік. Этапы жыцьця і выбраныя цытаты (A patriarch of the Belarusian diaspora in the United States Janka Zaprudnik has died. Stages of life and selected quotes) (in Belarusian)". Retrieved 26 May 2022.
^ "Jan Zaprudnik". Retrieved 26 May 2022.
^ "Памёр патрыярх беларускай дыяспары ў ЗША Янка Запруднік. Этапы жыцьця і выбраныя цытаты (A patriarch of the Belarusian diaspora in the United States Janka Zaprudnik has died. Stages of life and selected quotes) (in Belarusian)". Retrieved 26 May 2022.

External links

Biography at www.belarus-misc.org
BELARUS IN WORLD WAR II: COLLABORATIONISTS AND PARTISANS - interview for Radio Free Europe
Палітычнае змаганне за Беларусь у царскіх Дзяржаўных думах (1906-1917 гг.) // ARCHE. 2009. № 1/2. С. 43-217.