Jan Zaprudnik
{{Short description|Belarusian-American historian (1926–2022)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Jan Zaprudnik
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| native_name_lang = be
| native_name = Янка Запруднік
| birth_name = Siarhej Vilčycki
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1926|8|9}}
| birth_place = Mir, Poland (now Belarus)
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|2022|5|26|1926|8|9}}
| death_place = Somerset, New Jersey, U.S.
| other_names =
| occupation = Historian and publicist
| nationality = Belarusian and American
| awards = File:Ribbon-BNR 100 Jubilee Medal.png Belarusian Democratic Republic 100th Jubilee Medal (2018)
}}
Jan Zaprudnik{{efn|{{langx|be|Янка Запруднік|{{transliteration|be|bgn/pcgn|Yanka Zaprudnik}}}}, Polonization: {{transliteration|be|Janka Zaprudnik}}}} (9 August 1926 – 26 May 2022, born Siarhej Vilčycki){{efn|{{langx|be|Сяргей Вільчыцкі|{{transliteration|be|bgn/pcgn|Syarhyey Vil′chytski}}}}, Polonization: {{transliteration|be|Siarhej Vilčycki}}}}[https://www.svaboda.org/a/31866745.html Памёр патрыярх беларускай дыяспары ў ЗША Янка Запруднік. Этапы жыцьця і выбраныя цытаты] {{in lang|be}} 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.[http://adradjency.narod.ru/zamezzha/zaprudnik.html Запруднік Янка.] ("Zaprudnik, Janka"). Aradžency Biełarusi. 2008. Retrieved 6 August 2009. {{in lang|be}}[https://web.archive.org/web/20090915155934/http://zbsb.org/lib/index.php?option=com_alblib&view=article&id=364 Электронная Бацькаўшчына Бібліятэка] (Fatherland Electronic Library). Retrieved 6 August 2009. {{in lang|be}}
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".{{cite web |title=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) |url=https://nashaniva.com/292322 |access-date=27 May 2022}}
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.{{cite web |title=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) |url=https://www.svaboda.org/a/31866745.html |access-date=26 May 2022}}
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.{{cite web |title=Jan Zaprudnik |url=https://belarusjournal.com/author/jan-zaprudnik |access-date=26 May 2022}}
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.{{cite web |title=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) |url=https://www.svaboda.org/a/31866745.html |access-date=26 May 2022}}
Notes
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References
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External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20060927152820/http://www.belarus-misc.org/writer/zaprud.htm Biography] at {{not a typo|www.belarus-misc.org}}
- [https://www.rferl.org/a/1058755.html BELARUS IN WORLD WAR II: COLLABORATIONISTS AND PARTISANS] - interview for Radio Free Europe
- [https://arche.by/item/120 Палітычнае змаганне за Беларусь у царскіх Дзяржаўных думах (1906-1917 гг.)] // ARCHE. 2009. № 1/2. С. 43-217.
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zaprudnik, Jan}}
Category:People from Karelichy district
Category:20th-century American historians
Category:Belarusian emigrants to the United States
Category:Belarusian male writers
Category:Catholic University of Leuven (1834–1968) alumni
Category:New York University Graduate School of Arts and Science alumni
Category:Columbia University staff
Category:Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty people
Category:People from Mir, Belarus
Category:American male non-fiction writers
Category:Members of the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic