Karatkevich's Famous Novel "The Ears Under Your Sickle" Republished Uncensored. Sells No Worse Than "Harry Potter"

At the International Poetic Festival "Poems on Asphalt" in memory of Mikhas Straltsou, which is taking place in Warsaw from February 13 to 15, an uncensored edition of Uladzimir Karatkevich's novel "The Ears Under Your Sickle" was presented.

"This book is at the top"

Publisher and creator of the online library "Kamunikat" Yaroslav Ivanyuk notes:

"More than a hundred copies were sold in just a month. This book is at the top."

He says that after 'The Ears' was removed from the school curriculum in Belarus in 2023, it became clear: the book needed to be published outside the country. The text without Soviet cuts had already been released a few years ago in a 25-volume edition by the 'Mastatskaya Litaratura' publishing house. Now, the Kamunikat foundation has released it.

"This is not just about censorship. It's about the return of words. In Soviet editions, the words 'Belarus,' 'Belarusians' could not be used (they were crossed out from Karatkevich's works. — NN),” says Ivanyuk, recalling the work of Valiantsina Andreeva, head of Gutenberg Publisher, who restored the text.

Павялічыць

Today, for example, 'The Ears' at the 'Knihaŭka' bookstore, which is now located in Warsaw's Praga district, and which was once raided by Azaronak on its very first day of operation in Minsk, sells better than "Harry Potter" translations, Ivanyuk smiles.

"This is a Belarusian book that every Belarusian must read."

The publisher also recalled the story of a political prisoner in Valadarka, who shared that he was only able to read the first part of the novel: someone tore the second part out of the prison library copy. Perhaps to take it with them to their cell.

"By resurrecting the past, the nation resurrects itself"

Writer Uladzimir Arlou mentioned at the presentation that in his childhood and youth in Polatsk, he was unlucky with Belarusian language and history teachers. Having entered the history faculty of BSU, he didn't even know Karatkevich's name, nor was he familiar with his works. And he read 'The Ears' only as a student.

"I expected it to be something about the village… But I had nothing more to read. I was given the book for three days — I didn't need that long."

He speaks of history as resurrection.

"There are many definitions. The one closest to me is this: history is resurrection. By resurrecting the past, the nation resurrects itself."

According to Arlou, Karatkevich worked more fruitfully than the entire Institute of History.

"We were taught thickly mixed imperial myths. Thanks to Karatkevich, a window to another history opened for us — with our heroes, adventurers, and enlighteners."

He recalls a student story: almost the entire course rushed to the central bookstore for Karatkevich's collection "From Past Centuries". The lecture was disrupted. The students, having bought books, decided to return for the next class and, passing the current Independence Avenue, saw elephants that had been brought from India and were being led to the Belarusian State Circus. Upon returning to the history faculty, they heard reproaches:

"Don't fool me, what books, what Karatkevich — you ran off to see elephants!"

Павялічыць

Arlou smiles, saying that those who taught him couldn't understand the young students' passion for the national.

"With a people whose history is taken away, any political experiments can be performed."

But it was precisely after 'The Ears,' the writer says, that after some time he switched to the Belarusian language.

"Apostle of the Nation"

Arlou calls Karatkevich primarily a poet, not a prose writer. He recalls the words of Hienadz Buraukin, who called him "apostle of the nation," and a phrase heard at an event for the writer's 75th birthday in the writer's house-museum in Vorsha, which he himself highly recommended visiting:

"If God had not sent Karatkevich to Belarus, there would be one less country in the world."

Павялічыць

He recalls how one of the artist-illustrators who worked with Karatkevich gave him the original typescript of 'The Ears'. In the margins — an editor's note: "Dear sir, you have no sense of humor." And Karatkevich's reply: "You are the one lacking it."

"Power has always loved dead geniuses. They don't go out to squares and don't sign letters,” says Arlou. “But this power is not even capable of that.”

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