Summary
Helen Michaluk (Belarusian: Алена (Лёля) Міхалюк, née Marcinkevich; 15 May 1930 – 16 October 2022) was a prominent figure of the Belarusian diaspora, a long-standing (and the only female) head of the Association of Belarusians in Great Britain.
Life and work edit
Michaluk was born in the village of Lonskija, Braslaŭ County in the north-east part of the Second Polish Republic (now Sharkawshchyna District of Vicebsk Region, Republic of Belarus). She went to a Polish and then – Belarusian school.
In 1947, she settled in the United Kingdom and, two years later, married Janka Michaluk. She became a member of the Association of Belarusians in Great Britain and the Anglo-Belarusian Society; she was also actively involved with St Cyril of Turaŭ Belarusian school in London and the Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church.
In 1982, Michaluk became a member of the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic. In 1997, she was elected the chair of the Association of Belarusians in Great Britain – the position she held until 2013.[1]
Michaluk died on 16 October 2022, at the age of 92, and is buried in Manchester Southern Cemetery.[2][3]
Awards edit
In 2019, Michaluk was awarded a Belarusian Democratic Republic 100th Jubilee Medal for her contribution to Belarusian public life in the diaspora.[4][5]
References edit
- ^ "Гардзіенка Наталля, Беларусы ў Вялікабрытаніі - Беларуская Інтэрнэт-Бібліятэка Kamunikat.org". Гардзіенка Наталля, Беларусы ў Вялікабрытаніі - Беларуская Інтэрнэт-Бібліятэка Kamunikat.org. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
- ^ Свабода, Радыё (18 October 2022). "Памерла былая шматгадовая кіраўніца Згуртаваньня беларусаў Вялікай Брытаніі Алена Міхалюк (The former long-time leader of the Association of Belarusians in Great Britain, Helen Michaluk, died) (in Belarusian)". Радыё Свабода. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
- ^ "Уладзімер Арлоў "Імёны Свабоды". Выд. 2023 c.c. 836-837 (Uladzimer Arloŭ "The Names of Freedom" 2023 ed. p.p. 836-837" (PDF). Радыё Свабода (Radio Liberty). Retrieved 25 April 2023.
- ^ Навумчык, Сяргей (27 March 2019). "Алексіевіч, Пазьняк, Вольскі, Эрыксан, Белавус. Хто яшчэ ўзнагароджаны мэдалём у гонар БНР-100". Радыё Свабода (in Belarusian). Retrieved 5 April 2021.
- ^ "Уручэньні Мэдалёў да стагодзьдзя БНР: Таронта, Лёндан, Вашынгтон – Рада Беларускай Народнай Рэспублікі" (in Belarusian). 7 September 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2021.