Texts by Alhierd Abuchovič Through the Eyes of a Historian of Literature

Abstract

The article examines available today manuscripts and first editions by Alhierd Abuchovič, the Belarusian writer of the second half of the 19th century. Despite the fact that the Belarusian literary critics of the Soviet and post-Soviet periods have done a lot in the study of the writer's legacy, it is necessary, considering recently discovered materials, to look once again at the history of the publication of his texts (paying attention to the accuracy of their reconstitution), as well as their interpretation, which once was determined by Soviet ideology. Comparison of the manuscripts and first editions by A. Abuchovič with later publications of memories, fables and poetry (as well as new materials) allowed to make a conclusion not only on adaptation of the text by editors-publishers, but also on V. Lastouski’s (?) translation of the memoirs from Polish into Belarusian. Using the methods of literary-historical and textual analysis allowed usto state that the fable Staršyna, first published in ‘the period of 'Naša Niva’, was edited by Janka Kupala, at that time executive secretary of ‘Belarusian publishing society in Vilnius’ and compiler (?) of the Belarusian calendar for 1915. There is also doubt as to the traditional assertion that the Belarusian-language works were signed by Abuchovič with the pseudonym ‘Count Bandinelli’: the manuscripts testify to the fact that the Polish-language works of the poet were signed with this pseudonym, and the Belarusian-language works were signed with his own name. Into scientific circulation were introduced obscure fragments of memories, a letter from A. Abuchovič to A. Valicki etc. Also, a new interpretation of the poem Duma a Karólu XII is proposed.