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, and is buried in Manchester Southern Cemetery.[2][3]

Awards

In 2019, Michaluk was awarded a Belarusian Democratic Republic 100th Jubilee Medal for her contribution to Belarusian public life in the diaspora.[4][5]

References
  1. "Гардзіенка Наталля, Беларусы ў Вялікабрытаніі - Беларуская Інтэрнэт-Бібліятэка Kamunikat.org". Гардзіенка Наталля, Беларусы ў Вялікабрытаніі - Беларуская Інтэрнэт-Бібліятэка Kamunikat.org. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  2. Свабода, Радыё (18 October 2022). "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)". Радыё Свабода. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  3. "Уладзімер Арлоў "Імёны Свабоды". Выд. 2023 c.c. 836-837 (Uladzimer Arloŭ "The Names of Freedom" 2023 ed. p.p. 836-837" (PDF). Радыё Свабода (Radio Liberty). Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  4. Навумчык, Сяргей (27 March 2019). "Алексіевіч, Пазьняк, Вольскі, Эрыксан, Белавус. Хто яшчэ ўзнагароджаны мэдалём у гонар БНР-100". Радыё Свабода (in Belarusian). Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  5. "Уручэньні Мэдалёў да стагодзьдзя БНР: Таронта, Лёндан, Вашынгтон – Рада Беларускай Народнай Рэспублікі" (in Belarusian). 7 September 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
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