Anatol Iustsinavich Azhgirey (Belarusian: Анатоль Іўсцінавіч Ажгірэй; 2 December 1902 – 29 October 1937), better known by his literary pseudonym Anatol Volny (Belarusian: Анатоль Вольны), was a Belarusian artist, poet, writer, journalist, and film dramaturg. He was an active participant in the literary and artistic movements of the 1920s and 1930s in the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR).
Early life and education
Volny was born in Pukhavichy, Igumensky Uyezd, Minsk Governorate, then part of the Russian Empire. His father worked as a civil servant. He attended the Abbot’s Gymnasium beginning in 1911 and later graduated from the Marinagore Railway School of the 2nd degree. In 1920 he volunteered for the Red Army, fighting against interventionist forces. After demobilisation in 1921, he worked for the Central Committee of the LKSM and contributed to the newspaper Moladi Arati. He also pursued studies at Belarusian State University (BSU).
Literary and artistic career
From 1923 Volny was a member of the literary association Maladnyak and later joined the Polimi group in 1928. He became a member of the Communist Party of the BSSR in 1934. Volny’s oeuvre spanned poetry, prose, drama, humor, and film. Notable publications include:
- Poetry collections: Kamsamolskaya nota (1924, with A. Aleksandrovich), Black‑haired joy (1926), To you (1927).
- Prose: the adventure novel Wolves (1925, co‑authored with A. Aleksandrovich and A. Dudar), short stories such as “Two” (1925) and “Anton Savitsky” (1927).
- Humor and feuilletons compiled in Neighbors (1932) under the pseudonym Alyosha.
- Plays and dramatizations, including “When the old man tells the truth,” “Mykolka,” “At the farmer’s house” (1924), and the comedy “Save me, God!” (1932, with R. Kobets).
As a film dramaturg, Volny contributed scripts for several Soviet‑era films, notably The Pines Are Roaring (1929), Savoy Hotel (1930), Born in Fire (1930), Sunny Hike (1931), and New Homeland (1935). His short story “The Sixtieth Parallel” appeared in 1935.
Awards and recognition
In 1935 Volny was honored as an Honored Art Worker of the BSSR for his contributions to Belarusian literature and the arts.
Repression and rehabilitation
During the Great Purge, Volny was arrested on 4 November 1936 in Minsk. On 28 October 1937 he was sentenced by an extrajudicial body of the Soviet security services as a “member of a counter‑revolutionary organization” and executed by shooting on 29 October 1937 in Minsk. His property was confiscated. Posthumously, the Supreme Court of the USSR rehabilitated him on 3 December 1957, restoring his reputation.
Legacy
Volny is remembered as a pioneering figure in Belarusian adventure prose and as a versatile creator across multiple artistic media. His works and contributions are documented in Belarusian literary reference works and remain subjects of scholarly study on the cultural history of early Soviet Belarus.