Helen Michaluk
Helen Michaluk (Belarusian: Алена (Лёля) Міхалюк, née Marcinkevich; 15 May 1930 – 16 October 2022) was a prominent figure of the Belarusian diaspora, a long-standing (and the only female) head of the Association of Belarusians in Great Britain.
Life and work
Michaluk was born in the village of Lonskija , Braslaŭ County in the north-east part of the Second Polish Republic (now Sharkawshchyna District of Vicebsk Region, Republic of Belarus). She went to a Polish and then – Belarusian school.
In 1947, she settled in the United Kingdom and, two years later, married Janka Michaluk . She became a member of the Association of Belarusians in Great Britain and the Anglo-Belarusian Society; she was also actively involved with St Cyril of Turaŭ Belarusian school in London and the Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church.
In 1982, Michaluk became a member of the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic. In 1997 she was elected the chair of the Association of Belarusians in Great Britain – the position she held until 2013.[1]
Michaluk died on 16 October 2022, at the age of 92.[2]
Awards
In 2019, Michaluk was awarded a Belarusian Democratic Republic 100th Jubilee Medal for her contribution to Belarusian public life in the diaspora.[3][4]
References
- ^ "Гардзіенка Наталля, Беларусы ў Вялікабрытаніі - Беларуская Інтэрнэт-Бібліятэка Kamunikat.org". Гардзіенка Наталля, Беларусы ў Вялікабрытаніі - Беларуская Інтэрнэт-Бібліятэка Kamunikat.org. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
- ^ "Памерла былая шматгадовая кіраўніца Згуртаваньня беларусаў Вялікай Брытаніі Алена Міхалюк (The former long-time leader of the Association of Belarusians in Great Britain, Helen Michaluk, died) (in Belarusian)". Radio Liberty. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
- ^ "Алексіевіч, Пазьняк, Вольскі, Эрыксан, Белавус. Хто яшчэ ўзнагароджаны мэдалём у гонар БНР-100". Радыё Свабода (in Belarusian). Retrieved 5 April 2021.
- ^ "Уручэньні Мэдалёў да стагодзьдзя БНР: Таронта, Лёндан, Вашынгтон – Рада Беларускай Народнай Рэспублікі" (in Belarusian). Retrieved 5 April 2021.
- CS1 Belarusian-language sources (be)
- Articles with short description
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- Use dmy dates from October 2022
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- 1930 births
- 2022 deaths
- Members of the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic
- British people of Belarusian descent
- People from Sharkowshchyna District