German, Slavic, & East European Languages & Literatures

We have a strong collection of material about Belarus and the Belarusians, a Slavic people living between Poland and Russia.  Jan Zaprudnik, the noted historian and publicist, established the core of this collection with a donation of some 2000 volumes.  All publications from this donation may be found in our catalog with a keyword search for the phrase "zaprudnik belarusica collection." It is especially strong in Belarusian literature and history. In addition to circulating and reference books (see below), he donated an outstanding collection of emigre periodicals and inspired the donation of Belarusian American manuscript collections and money for the processing and purchase of Belarusica.  The Jan Zaprudnik Papers were donated to Rutgers in 2019.

Belaruskai͡a SSR : karotkai͡a ėntsyklapedyi͡a / [haloy̆ny rėdaktar P. U. Broŭka]. Minsk : Haloŭnai͡a rėdaktsyi͡a Belaruskaĭ Savetskaĭ Ėntsyklapedyi, 1978-1981. 5 v. DK507.B37 1978

Ėntsyklapedyi͡a litaratury i mastatstva Belarusi u 5 tamakh / rėdaktsyĭnai͡a kalehii͡a I.P. Shami͡akin (haloŭny rėdaktar) ... [et al.]. Variant title: Russian title from colophon: Ėnt͡siklopedii͡a literatury i iskusstva Belorussii. Minsk : Vyd-va "Belaruskai͡a savetskai͡a ėntsyklapedyi͡a" imi͡a Petrusi͡a Broŭki 1984-1987. 5 v. NX556.A3B953 1984

Ėtymalahichny sloŭnik belaruskaĭ movy / [redaktar V.U. Martynaŭ]. Minsk : Nauka i tekhnika, 1978-<2006> v. <1-11> PG2833.95.E8 1978

Histarychny sloŭnik belaruskaĭ movy / [haloŭny rėdaktar A.I. Z͡Huraŭski ; skladalʹniki T.I. Blizni͡uk ... et al.]. Title in colophon: Istoricheskiĭ slovarʹ belorusskogo i͡azyka Minsk : Navuka i tėkhnika, 1982-<2006>. v. 1-<15, 17-26>. PG2834.H57 1982

Kipelʹ, Vitaŭt. Belaruskii͡a sloŭniki ĭ ėntsykli͡apėdyi : bibliografii͡a / skladalʹniki Vitaŭt Kipelʹ i Zʹmitser Saŭka. Added title page: Belarusan dictionaries and encyclopedias : bibliography Nʹi͡u I͡Ork ; Mensk : Belaruski in-t navuki ĭ mastat͡stva, [2001] Z7004.D5K57 2001

Sloŭnik belaruskikh havorak paŭnochna-zakhodni͡aĭ Belarusi i i͡ae pahranichcha / [ukladalʹniki I͡U.F. Matskevich ... et al.]. Title from colophon: Slovarʹ belorusskikh govorov severo-zapadnoĭ Belorussii i ee pogranichʹi͡a Minsk : Navuka i tekhnika, 1979-1986. 5 v. PG2834.1.S55 1979

Asipchyk, Aleksandr, d. 1998?

Correspondence, 1951-1955, of a native of Belarus who was living in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in the early 1950s, and whose name might actually have been Aleksandr Asipovich-Asipchyk. The letters, exchanged with other Belarusian exiles, primarily concern how the émigré community should organize itself politically, but religious issues are also treated; some of the letters are reactions to published statements by Asipchyk.

Danilovich, Anton, 1912-2000.

Papers of a Belarusian poet, editor and printer, known also by his pen name Janka Zolak, who had been a schoolteacher before immigrating to the United States after World War II. His papers include biographical information; correspondence, including some received in later years from family members in Belarus; speeches and related materials; scattered diary entries, some of which relate to travel; files pertaining to displaced persons camps, including at Regensburg; printed copies and manuscripts of his writings (some unpublished), with related materials; editorial files, especially for Byelorussian Thought; files on Belarusian topics, including writers, culture, history and various émigré organizations; and a collection of miscellaneous Belarusian diaspora publications.

Kasiak, Ivan, d. 1989.

Papers, 1940s-1980s, of an émigré Belarusian leader, also known as John Kosiak, including some collected Belarusian publications. The papers primarily document the Byelorussian Congress Committee of America and Kasiak’s service as its president. In addition, there are materials in the collection that pertain to biennial conventions of Belarusians in North America, as well as to the World Anti-Communist League and the Anti-Bolshevik Bloc of Nations. The papers also include some documents relating to the Belarusian community in South River, New Jersey, although Kasiak, an engineer, resided for many years in Chicago.

Lapitski, Mikalaj, 1907-1976.

Papers, 1950s-1970s, of the first priest at Saint Euphrosynia Church in South River, New Jersey (a Belarusian congregation affiliated with the Greek Orthodox Church), whose name is sometimes transliterated as Lapitzki. The papers consist chiefly of letters, written from various cities in the United States and abroad, which pertain to Belarusian congregations, their priests and their church services.

Zaprudnik, Jan.  1926-2018

Papers, 1950-2018.  Jan Zaprudnik (born: Siarhej Vilčycki) was born in Mir (then Poland, now Belarus), emigrated to Germany in 1944, and lived several years in German DP camps before emigrating to England and working as a miner.  He completed a diploma at the Catholic University of Louvain and then was employed by Radio Liberty in Munich, later with its New York office after emigrating to the US in 1957.  In 1969 he earned a Ph.D at NYU.  The papers consist of correspondence and thematic files pertaining to the life of Dr. Zaprudnik and of the Belarusian emigration throughout the world.  There is a preliminary inventory.

Special Collections and University Archives also holds several publications pertaining to the Belarusian émigré community in South River, New Jersey. 

The periodicals in the Zaprudnik Belarusica Collection include 50 titles that are held by few if any other libraries in North America.  These include:

Abiednannie (1949-52)
Adradzennie: Časapis Biełarusaǔ katalikoǔ (1947-8)
Aposhniia viestki (1948)
Belarusian Chronicle (1999-2001)
Belaruski Patryiot (1953-4)
Belaruskiia Vedamastsi (1997-2002)
Bielaruskaha dumka (Watenstedt,1947)
Bielaruskaia Volia (1947-8)
Belaruski Patryiot (1953-4)
Belaruskiia Vedamastsi (1997-2002)
Bielaruskaia Volia (1947-8)
Bielarus Na Chuzhynie (1947-50)
Biulieten Bielaruskai Tsentralnai Rady (1984-5)
Biuleten ZBMA (Brooklyn,1958)
Biuleten Zhurtavanne belaruskae moladzi u klyulendze (1955-8)
Kamunikat (Paris,1996-2002)
Kamunikat (1973-5; different publication than the Kamunikat listed above)
Khrystsiianskiia Naviny (1988-91)
Kryvich (1923-6)
Kryvitski Svetach (Munich,1946)
Letapis (Brooklyn, 1947-8)
Litaraturna-Mastatski Zbornik (1970)
Medychnaia Dumka (Watenstedt,1946-50)
Moladz (Paris, 1948-54)
Narodny Klich (1954)
Narodnym Shliakham (Toronto,1954)
Nash Ctsiah: Magazine of the Belarusian Revolutionaries (1965-89)
Na Slachu (London, 1950)
Niezaliezhnik / Freedom Fighter (Brooklyn,1966)
Patryiot (1949-52)
Pramien': Chasapis zhurtavan'nia belarusau u kvebeku (1993-2002)
Sakavik (1947/48)
Shliakham zhytstsia (Watenstedt, 1946-7)
Sila Very (Chicago, 1956-63)
Svietach Khrystovai Navyki (1961-5)
Tsarkoǔnyia Naviny (1983-2002)
Tsarkouny Paslaniets (Brooklyn, 1973-2001)
Vecha (Syracuse,1970-3)
Veda. Vieda. Science (Brooklyn, 1953-4, 1973)
Vesnik (1983-90)
Viec'nik : Bielaruskaha Katalitskaha Dushpastyrstva (1988-9)
Viekhi: Chasapis Bielaruskai Pastupavai Dumki (1957-89)
Viestki j paviedamlenni (1984-2002)
Vedamki (Regensburg, 1946)
Vyzvaliennie (Michelsdorf,1948)
Zhyve Belarus (Mancester,1958-62)
Zmahannie (1948)
Zmahar (1949-50)
Zvazhai: Chasapis Bielaruskikh Skautu (1946)

More than 120 titles are retrieved by searching QuickSearch for "zaprudnik belarusica" with resource type: journals.