Dozens of boxes containing the personal collection and archive of Yury Popka (1912–1990), a Belarusian public figure who after World War II founded a private museum in Leimen, Germany, to promote Belarusian culture, have been delivered to the Ivan Luckievich Vilnius Belarusian Museum.
This became possible thanks to the combined efforts of researcher and activist Ales Maiseenka, who spent nearly 10 years locating and legally securing the collection of the postwar public figure, and the Association of Belarusians in Germany “RAZAM eV.”
Who Was Yury Popka?
Yury Popka (1912–1990) was a key figure of the postwar Belarusian emigration. A writer, publisher, and public figure, he devoted himself after emigrating to promoting Belarusian culture in Europe. In Leimen, Germany, in 1971 he founded a private museum in his apartment on Goethestrasse, collecting rare books, clothing, household items, and periodicals. It was important to him that Europeans see Belarus as an independent culture.
In 1987, at a cemetery in the St. Ilgen area of Leimen, he erected a monument to Belarusians killed in 1939–1945. Popka also founded the Institute of Belarusian Studies, aimed at encouraging research into Belarusian history. The institute published books by Popka and other Belarusian émigré authors, as well as, from 1986, its periodical “Vestki Instytuta Belarusavedy.”
What Happened to the Collection?
After Popka’s death, his property and collections were transferred to the city of Leimen. However, instead of being preserved, the collection ended up in storage, where some items disappeared and others were severely damaged by flooding. Its rescue became a mission for the Belarusian diaspora. Belarusian researcher and activist Ales Maiseenka spent nearly a decade (since 2017) locating and saving what remained of Popka’s collection.
The final stage of transporting the rescued archive from Leimen to Vilnius was carried out by the Association of Belarusians in Germany “RAZAM eV.”
What Does This Mean?
Staff at the Vilnius Belarusian Museum are preparing for months of meticulous work to systematize the archive. The collection consists of ten boxes.
“We have long months of processing this collection ahead of us, and little by little we will tell you what exactly has arrived in these boxes,” the museum team said.
Thanks to the efforts of committed Belarusians, the museum has received a unique addition to its holdings.
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