Yakub Kolas's personal car is rotting in a garage. Belarusians are ready to chip in for repairs, but with a caveat
The car of the classic Belarusian writer has been out of order for many years.
The car belongs to Kolas's grandson — Andrei Danilovich Mitskevich
Yakub Kolas's personal "Pobeda" was last started in 1968.
In 2017, the "Belsat" TV channel released a report about the Belarusian classic's car rotting in a garage in a residential area of Minsk.
Yakub Kolas's grandchildren then recounted how they had recently been evicted from outbuildings which their famous grandfather had built for them. The director of the Yakub Kolas Museum then said that she believed the relatives wanted to profit from the legendary ancestor's name.
It is also known that 6-7 years ago, the current owner of the car — Kolas's grandson — was offered to undertake the restoration of his grandfather's car. But he couldn't find common ground with an investor willing to take on the project — the classic's grandson did not agree to restrictions on the car's use for a certain period after restoration.
Recently, photos and videos of how the poet's car looks now appeared on Threads.
Kolas's "Pobeda" M-20 still stands in an ordinary garage, covered with a thick layer of dust. The video shows that the car is in a deplorable state and requires not just repair, but full restoration.
The car is partially disassembled. The interior is completely empty. The car's bottom and wheel arches were already restored earlier, but this didn't significantly change the car's overall condition.
Restore or leave as is?
In the comments under the video, a discussion flared up about what should be done with the classic's car. Some believe that the car needs a high-quality full restoration, while others think it should be left in its original state, only fixing the technical part. This, they argue, would preserve it in the form it was left by the poet.
"Why restore it? It's valuable because a famous person owned it. It would be more logical to conserve it as is. Like Prishvin's 'Moskvich', which remained as it was during its owner's life," one commentator wrote.
However, as an argument against such a proposal, it is noted that the car has long not been in the condition it was after Kolas's death.
"Super find! It should be restored. So much has already been lost, it's time to preserve at least something," reads one of the comments.
Belarusians are ready to chip in, but there are nuances
Among the commentators, there are many who propose opening a fundraiser for the car's restoration.
"The question is what will happen to it next, we could launch crowdfunding," one of them wrote. To which he was answered that the car has an owner who determines its future.
"If you need it spelled out... How high is the probability that the car, after being made at someone else's expense, won't simply be sold in the end?!" questioned a person who proposed launching crowdfunding, but with caveats.
"Details are needed: what is needed, how much it costs, a budget, a fundraiser for that budget. And the goal: a museum, a private collector's garage, so that the work doesn't go to waste, etc."
"The car is unique without a doubt, it would be a shame to lose it. But to announce a fundraiser, there must be clear, precise tasks and a goal. Then there will be money, caring people will certainly be found," another commentator believes.
One commentator suggested transferring the car to a museum just in time for the 145th anniversary of the poet's birth, which will take place next year.
"Let them give it to the museum as property, and the museum announces a fundraiser for repairs (they work excellently on social media with their events). I would respond to such a fundraiser — not for a private owner."
"I agree with many, what is the goal of restoration? If it's for a museum and so everyone can 'touch' the legend — that's one question, if it's for a private collection — then it's entirely different," a man wrote in the comments under one of the posts dedicated to Kolas's "Pobeda."
As for the process itself, raising money here might be the simplest and fastest part of the work. It is much more difficult to accurately calculate the cost of restoration work, find all the necessary parts to bring the car back to its original condition qualitatively. Moreover, the restoration process itself will take far more than one month, depending on the number of people working on the project.
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