On May 25, is the 80th anniversary of the poet, honored cultural worker of Belarus, laureate of the State Prize of Belarus and the Order of Francysk Skaryna, Vladimir Karizna.
In Belarus, everyone knows the songs written by the master of poetry, Vladimir Karizna: “I Love You, Belarus”, “My Blue-Eyed Belarus”, “A Song of the Native Land”, “Cranberry”, “On the Blue Lakes”. The poet has a great many of admirers. His songs are often broadcasted by radio and TV channels and performed at students’ events, state’s holidays and family celebrations.
Vladimir Karizna was born in 1938, in the village of Zakruzhka, Minsk region, in a peasant family. Since childhood, the song-writer had comprehended the beauty of music. In the paternal home, they performed folk songs and music both on weekdays and holidays. He inherited the love of music from his mother and father, who knew a lot of songs and could sing beautifully. In youth, he tried to write his first verses. Having left school he entered Belarusian State University where he studied at the Department of Philology. He graduated in 1961 and started to teach Belarusian and Russian literature at a secondary school in Opsa, Braslav region. At the same time, he headed a local literary union attached to the regional newspaper “Braslauskaya zvyazda”. From 1967 to 1980, he was an editor, editor-in-chief and head of the Belarusian music department of the republican radio station. Then he worked at the literary magazines “Polymya” and “Krynitsa” and the publishing house “Younatstva”.
The first poem of Vladimir Karizna appeared in the newspaper “Chyrvonaya zmena”, 1956, when he studied at university. The poet also wrote for a teachers’ newspaper, a weekly covering literature and art news etc. His first collection of lyrics, “My Blue-Eyed Land”, was published in 1963. Then there were books of poems: “Crane Dawn” (1969), “The Cloud-Burst Light” (1972), “Warmth” (1977), “The Silence of Furrows” (1981), “Murmur of Willow” (1982), “Music in the World” (1985), “A Split on the Bell of Freedom” (1986), “The Melody of an Inspired Soul” (1988), “Lakes of Good” (1995), “A Moment of Light” (2000), “Our White Belarus” (2007), “Summer Lightning of Childhood” (2014).
The theme of his writing is the memory of the past war, love of the native land, life and labor, happiness and everyday's cares of his contemporaries. Vladimir Karizna’s verses are remarkable for an original style, melodic beauty and flamboyance, a comprehensible musical sound. His creativity originates from Belarusian folklore, which motives he skillfully uses, decorating them with new images. More than 200 works of Vladimir Karizna are set to music, and collections of songs are published: “Club Evenings” (1979), “I Love You, Belarus” (1984), “A Nightingale Singing” (1990), “This Is Our Motherland” (1998).
The vivid melodic and lyricism of Vladimir Karizna’s verses have inspired different generations of composers: А. Bogatyrev, Y. Semenyaka, І. Luchenok, Y. Glebov, L. Zakhlevny, D. Smolski, E. Hanok and others. The Belarusian composers have created vocal cycles, based on the poet’s verses: “Seasons”, “I Love You”, cantatas “My Earth”, “The Songs of Maiden Love”, oratorio “The Day of Motheralnd”. These works are performed by the best Belarusian vocal and instrumental bands and choirs (“Syabry”, “Pesnyary”, “Verasy, and the State Academic People’s Choir named after G. Tsitovich). He is also the author of lyrics and music of over 50 songs.
Vladimir Karizna also writes for children. His first children’s book, “In the Village at My Granny”, appeared in 1975. Then there were “Cyong and His Friends” (1982), “Children Are Drawing” (co-author А. Volsky, 1984), “Two Hemispheres of the Earth” (1988), “Peace and Sun for All” (1990), “Sly and Wise” (1994), “Nastya’s Book” (1995), “Pipes Incessantly Singing” (1998), “On the Blue Lakes” (2000), “A Wonderful Eye” (2003), “Swallows Making Nests” (2010), “Summer Lightning of Childhood” (2014). The poet has translated a lot of children’s works for “The Library of Children’s Literature of the Peoples of the USSR” in 15 volumes, 16 books. For the participation in “The Library…”, he was awarded the State Prize of the Republic of Belarus (1996). Vladimir Karizna is a winner of republican song competitions. Also the poet created the new National Anthem of the Republic of Belarus, having remade the original text of М. Klimkovich, and was awarded the Order of Francysk Skaryna in 2002.
The information about the author is also available on the factographic database “Belarus in Persons and Events”.
