Paval Navara ( be, Павал Навара; 17 September 1927–24 May 1983), also romanised as ''Paul Navara'', was a Belarusian

émigré An ''émigré'' () is a person who has emigrated, often with a connotation of political or social self-exile. The word is the past participle of the French ''émigrer'', "to emigrate". French Huguenots Many French Huguenots fled France followi ...

public figure and co-founder of the

Anglo-Belarusian Society The Anglo-Belarusian Society () is one of the oldest Belarus-related organisations in the UK with an object of “diffusion, interchange and publication of knowledge relating to the Belarusian people, their land, history and culture”. History ...

.Гардзіенка, Наталля (2010).
Беларусы ў Вялікабрытаніі
' 'Belarusians in Great Britain, by Natalla Hardzijenka'' Minsk: Згуртаванне беларусаў свету Бацькаўшчына. p. 468. .

Early years

Paval Navara was born on 17 September 1927 in Western Belarus, then part of the Second Polish Republic. After secondary school he studied at a teachers college in

Navahrudak Novogrudok ( be, Навагрудак, Navahrudak; lt, Naugardukas; pl, Nowogródek; russian: Новогрудок, Novogrudok; yi, נאַוואַראַדאָק, Novhardok, Navaradok) is a town in the Grodno Region, Belarus. In the Middle A ...

. In 1944 at the age of 16, Navara was mobilized into the

Nazi army The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the '' Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previo ...

(which occupied Navahrudak at the time) and sent to France where he surrendered to the Allies. Navara joined the

Polish II Corps The Polish II Corps ( pl, Drugi Korpus Wojska Polskiego), 1943–1947, was a major tactical and operational unit of the Polish Armed Forces in the West during World War II. It was commanded by Lieutenant General Władysław Anders and fought wit ...

and, after some military training, fought for the Allies in Northern Italy.Гардзіенка, Наталля (2010).
Беларусы ў Вялікабрытаніі
' 'Belarusians in Great Britain, by Natalla Hardzijenka'' Minsk: Згуртаванне беларусаў свету Бацькаўшчына. p. 551-552. .

Life in Britain

After demobilisation in 1946, Navara settled in the UK and became one of the founders and council members of the

Association of Belarusians in Great Britain The Association of Belarusians in Great Britain ( be, Згуртаваньне беларусаў у Вялікай Брытаніі, ''Zhurtavańnie bielarusaŭ u Vialikaj Brytanii'') is the oldest Belarusian organisation in the United Kingdom un ...

. In 1952, he earned a degree in chemistry from the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

and embarked on a science career. in 1954, together with

Auberon Herbert Auberon (french: Oberon, links=no) may refer to: People * Auberon Herbert (1838–1906), British writer, theorist, philosopher and son of the 3rd Earl of Carnarvon * Auberon Herbert, 9th Baron Lucas (1876–1916), British politician and fighter pi ...

, he founded the

, and in 1969 Navara, Herbert and

Ceslaus Sipovich Ceslaus Sipovich ( be, Чэслаў Сіповіч, Łacinka: Česłaǔ Sipovič) (December 8, 1914 – October 4, 1981) was a bishop of the Belarusian Greek Catholic Church and a notable Belarusian émigré social and religious leader. Early ...

organised a successful fundraising campaign for the

Francis Skaryna Belarusian Library and Museum Francis Skaryna Belarusian Library and Museum (Belarusian: ; also referred to as Skaryna Library and ''Skarynaŭka'') in north London, England, is the only library outside Belarus to collect exclusively in the field of Belarusian studies. It wa ...

, which allowed the acquisition of a building in

North London North London is the northern part of London, England, north of the River Thames. It extends from Clerkenwell and Finsbury, on the edge of the City of London financial district, to Greater London's boundary with Hertfordshire. The term ''nort ...

to house the collection.Nadson, Alexander (2007).
Ceslaus Sipovich : the first Belarusian Catholic Bishop in the 20th century (1914-1981)
'. Minsk: Technalohija. . p.158

Death

Navara died in 1983 at the age of 55. He is buried in

St Pancras and Islington Cemetery St Pancras and Islington Cemetery is a cemetery in East Finchley, North London. Although it is situated in the London Borough of Barnet, it is run as two cemeteries, owned by two other London Boroughs, Camden (formerly St Pancras) and Isling ...

alongside a number of other notable members of the Belarusian British community.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Navara, Paval 1927 births 1983 deaths People from Nowogródek Voivodeship (1919–1939) Belarusian emigrants to England Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom Burials at St Pancras and Islington Cemetery