Maksim Łužanin

Maksim Łužanin, (born Alaksandr Amvrosyevič Karatai, Belarusian: Максім Лужанін (Алякса́ндр Амвро́сьевіч Карата́й), 2 November (October 20) 1909, Minsk – 13 October 2001, Minsk) was a Belarusian prose writer, poet, screenwriter, translator, essayist, and a literary critic. In 1969, he was awarded for the Honored Artist of the Byelorussian SSR and in 1975, Luzanin was awarded with Zasłużony Działacz Kultury.

He was born on 20 October 1909 in Prusy, Salihorsk, near the Minsk Region in Belorussia. His notable poems including Kroki (Shari, 1928) and Adnahalosna (1931). Luzanin's poem were written in Russian and Polish language. In 1928, he studied at Minsk Belarusian Pedagogial College. In 1933, he met his wife Jaŭhienija Pflaumbaum in Siberia. He studied at the literary-linguistic department and graduated at Belarusian State University. He participated in the literary association Maladnyak and Uzvyshsha. He worked at the magazine company "Uzvyshsha" magazine in 1930 until 1931 and from 1931 until 1933, he was a broadcaster at the Belarusian radio. Luzanin was arrested in 1933 and deported to Mariinsk (now known as Kemerovo Oblast). He was released a few months later. He worked as an editor of the main edition of the literature on mechanical engineering in Moscow, Soviet Union. He was in rehab by 1956. During the World War II, he was taken into red army until 1944, he later worked as a deputy of the Culture Department in the Russian newspaper Zvezda and executive of the magazine Vozhyk at National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. For 12 years from 1959 until 1971, he worked as a member and editor-in-chief of the film studio Belarusfilm. In 1968, he attended at the 22nd session of the UN General Assembly. His stories were adapted upon the screenplay Pavlinka (1951) and The People's Poem (1952). He died at his home in Minsk, aged 91 on 13 October 2001.