Michaś Naŭmovič (, 3 October 1922 – 8 March 2004) was a prominent figure of the

Belarusian Belarusian may refer to: * Something of, or related to Belarus * Belarusians, people from Belarus, or of Belarusian descent * A citizen of Belarus, see Demographics of Belarus * Belarusian language * Belarusian culture * Belarusian cuisine * Byelor ...

diaspora in France, artist and physiotherapist.

Early years

Naŭmovič was born into a farming family in the village of Kašaliova in

Navahrudak district Novogrudok district or Navahrudak district (; ) is a district (raion) of Grodno region in Belarus. The administrative center is Novogrudok. As of 2024, it has a population of 40,761. Notable residents * Fabijan Abrantovič (1884, Vieraskav ...

Second Polish Republic The Second Polish Republic, at the time officially known as the Republic of Poland, was a country in Central and Eastern Europe that existed between 7 October 1918 and 6 October 1939. The state was established in the final stage of World War I ...

(nowadays –

Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...

) on 3 October 1922.Т. Наўмовіч
Міхась Наўмовіч – беларускі мастак і скульптар на эміграцыі
// Навагрудчына ў гістарычна-культурнай спадчыне Еўропы (да 600-годдзя Грунвальдскай бітвы) [Michaś Naŭmovič is a Belarusian emigrant painter and sculptor, by T. Naŭmovič // Navahrudak lands in the historic and cultural heritage of Europe (for the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Grunwald ) ], p. 158-161 (in Belarusian)Міхась Наўмовіч
Мае ўспаміны
// Месца выданьня – Парыж. Выбраныя старонкі часопіса "Моладзь" (1948-1954) ichaś Naŭmovič. My memoirs // The place of publishing is Paris. Selected pages of the journal “Moladź” Minsk, 2004, , p. 415-437 (in Belarusian) He attended Polish primary schools in Kašaliova and

Navahrudak Novogrudok or Navahrudak (; ; , ; ) is a town in Grodno Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Novogrudok District. As of 2025, it has a population of 27,624. In the Middle Ages, the city was ruled by King Mindaugas' son ...

. One of his primary teachers, (who would later become a prominent figure of the Belarusian diaspora in Germany and the USA as well as the Minister of Education of the

Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic The Rada of the Belarusian People's Republic (, ) was the governing body of the Belarusian Democratic Republic. Since 1919, the Rada BNR has been in exile where it has preserved its existence among the Belarusian diaspora as an advocacy group ...

), recommended Naŭmovič to continue his education in a Polish gymnasium in

. Following the Soviet annexation of Western Belarus, Russian became the language of instruction in the gymnasium. Naŭmovič did not speak this language well, did not want to understand and accept the

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

power, which was the reason of numerous conflicts during his studies. At this time he also started learning painting he showed a great talent for. On 4 July 1941 Navahrudak was occupied by the

Nazis Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

. The Gebit commissar (regional commander) had authorised to open a Belarusian school where Naŭmovič continued his education and which he graduated from in 1944. Along with all other graduates he was issued a diploma featuring the

swastika The swastika (卐 or 卍, ) is a symbol used in various Eurasian religions and cultures, as well as a few Indigenous peoples of Africa, African and Indigenous peoples of the Americas, American cultures. In the Western world, it is widely rec ...

which would pose additional difficulties in higher education and employment afterwards.

The Belarusian Home Guard and the
Anders' Army Anders' Army was the informal yet common name of the Polish Armed Forces in the East in the 1941–42 period, in recognition of its commander Władysław Anders. The army was created in the Soviet Union but, in March 1942, based on an understand ...

In 1944 Naŭmovič was conscripted into the Belarusian Home Guard and sent to an officer school in

Minsk Minsk (, ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administra ...

. However, the German troops had to retreat from Minsk due to the advance of the Soviet army. All the cadets of the school were re-conscripted into the

30th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Belarusian) The 30th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Belarusian), originally called the 30th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Russian), was a short-lived Waffen-SS mechanized infantry division of Nazi Germany formed largely from Belarusian, ...

which was also retreating. During a Soviet bombardment of

Vilna Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...

, Naŭmovič managed to escape from the division to a forest and fled to

Besançon Besançon (, ; , ; archaic ; ) is the capital of the Departments of France, department of Doubs in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. The city is located in Eastern France, close to the Jura Mountains and the border with Switzerland. Capi ...

, France. In the autumn of 1944 he turned to the French partisans. Despite an appeal to return to the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

, Naŭmovič joined the

Anders' Army Anders' Army was the informal yet common name of the Polish Armed Forces in the East in the 1941–42 period, in recognition of its commander Władysław Anders. The army was created in the Soviet Union but, in March 1942, based on an understand ...

in the end of 1944 because all the cadets of the officer school in Minsk had been sent to prisoner camps in

Siberia Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states ...

and such a return would be dangerous. In June 1945 Naŭmovič relocated to

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

where he worked as a clerk in the court of the 7th Division of the Anders Army.

Life and death in France

In 1947 Naŭmovič was discharged from the Army and moved to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

where he embarked on an artistic career. Initially, he lived on a stipend from

Vatican Vatican may refer to: Geography * Vatican City, an independent city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy * Vatican Hill, in Rome, namesake of Vatican City * Ager Vaticanus, an alluvial plain in Rome * Vatican, an unincorporated community in the ...

procured for him and his friends by Archimandrite Leo Garoshka. Naŭmovič graduated from the Faculty of Sculpture of the

Beaux-Arts de Paris The (), formally the (), is a French ''grande école'' whose primary mission is to provide high-level fine arts education and training. The art school, which is part of the Paris Sciences et Lettres University, is located on two sites: Saint-G ...

in 1953 and a physiotherapeutic school in Paris in 1955. Apart from his artistic career, he taught anatomy and morphology in public and private schools of physiotherapy and arts. Naŭmovič died on 4 March 2004 in a village near Paris.

Prominent figure of the Belarusian diaspora

Naŭmovič headed the Union of Belarusian Working Emigrants in France (

: Хаўрус беларускай працоўнай эміграцыі ў Францыі) starting from 1946. In 1948, together with his friend Janka Filistovič, Naŭmovič established a Belarusian youth organisation in France and started publishing the magazine " Maladość” (“Youth"). Later, he published this magazine together with Leo Garoshka who was also involved in publishing another journal for the Belarusian diaspora, “Božym Šlacham” (“”). Between 1949 and 1952 Naŭmovič headed the Belarusian youth organisation, the Union of Belarusian Students, and the Belarusian Union of Combatants. He also served as a representative in France of the Belarusian Committee of Victims of Radiation established in 1989 within the Belarusian Catholic Mission in London at the initiative of Father

Alexander Nadson Alexander Antonovich Nadson (; 8 August 1926 – 15 April 2015) was the Apostolic Visitor for Belarusian Greek-Catholic faithful abroad, scholar, translator and a notable Belarusian émigré social and religious leader. Early life Fr Nadson ...

. Naŭmovič was a member of the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic.

Artistic works

Naŭmovič is the author of more than ten stone sculptures including the tombstone on

Mikola Ravienski Mikola Jakaŭlievič Ravienski (; ; 5 December 1886 – 9 March 1953) was a Belarusian composer, conductor and music critic who authored music for the famous hymn Mahutny Boža (Almighty God). Early life Ravienski was born on 5 December 1886 ...

's grave, sculptures for churches, the

Pont Alexandre III The Pont Alexandre III () is a deck arch bridge that spans the Seine in Paris. It connects the Champs-Élysées quarter with those of the Invalides and Eiffel Tower. The bridge is widely regarded as the most ornate, extravagant bridge in the ...

and the

Pont Neuf The Pont Neuf (, "New Bridge") is the oldest standing bridge across the river Seine in Paris, France. It stands by the western (downstream) point of the Île de la Cité, the island in the middle of the river that was, between 250 and 225 BC, ...

in Paris, as well as the work “The Wedding in Canne of Galileo”. He won a competition for the creation of a statue of Joan of Ark. He illustrated several books written by Belarusian authors and published outside Belarus in 1950-1960, including “Spadčyna” (“My Heritage”) by

Janka Kupala Ivan Daminikavich Lutsevich (; – 28 June 1942), better known by his pen name Yanka Kupala (Янка Купала), was a Belarusian poet and writer. Biography Early life Kupala was born on July 7, 1882, in Maladzyechna Raion, Viazynka, a f ...

, “Symon-muzyka” (“Symon the Musician”) by

Jakub Kolas Yakub Kolas (also Jakub Kołas, , – August 13, 1956), real name Kanstantsin Mikhailovich Mitskievich (Канстанці́н Міха́йлавіч Міцке́віч, , ) was a Belarusian writer, dramatist, poet and translator. People's Poe ...

, “Matčyn dar” (“A Mother's Gift”) by Aliés Harun, the journal “Lia čužych bierahoŭ” (“By Strange Shores”). Naŭmovič also painted with watercolours. He donated several of his works to the Francis Skaryna Belarusian Library and Museum.Гардзіенка, Н. С
Музей беларускай бібліятэкі імя Ф. Скарыны ў Лондане як спроба захавання культурна-гістарычнай спадчыны беларусаў у замежжы
/ Н. С. Гардзіенка / / Этнокультурное развитие Беларуси в XIX – начале ХXI в.: материалы междунар. науч.-практ. конф. / редкол. : Т. А. Новогродский (отв. ред.) � др. he Museum of the Francis Skaryna Library in London as a Method of Preservation of Cultural-Historic Heritage of Belarusians abroad, by N.S. Hardzijenka(in Belarusian)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Naumovic, Michas 1922 births 2004 deaths Belarusian independence movement Members of the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic Belarusian diaspora Belarusian emigrants to France