24 April marked the 90th anniversary of the birth of Vera Rich — English poet, journalist, and translator of Belarusian and Ukrainian poetry into English.
Few individuals contributed as much as Vera Rich to the popularisation of Belarusian literature in the West. Her greatest achievement was the first English-language anthology of Belarusian poetry, Like Water, Like Fire (1971). Published during the Iron Curtain era under the auspices of UNESCO, the anthology included works by 41 nineteenth- and twentieth-century authors and remains unsurpassed in both scale and literary quality of translation.
After publication, the anthology faced the threat of destruction from the Soviet Belarus Commission for UNESCO. Soviet officials objected to the image of the Pahonia on the cover, accompanied by the explanation:
“The Pahonia (knight on horseback) was the ancient seal and coat of arms of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania-Ruś to which the poets of the Byelorussian renaissance of the early twentieth century considered themselves the spiritual heirs.”
Under threat of confiscation of the entire print run, the “subversive” cover had to be replaced with a neutral blue one. Only a few copies of the original survived and have become bibliographical rarities. In addition, several authors were removed from the anthology, while others, less significant but politically loyal to the Soviet authorities, were added. Yet even in this censored form, the anthology became a landmark event, opening the richness of Belarusian literature to Western readers. Vera Rich’s introduction still reads today as a true manifesto of Belarusian identity.
The dramatic story of the anthology’s publication is recounted in the article “The Soviet Confiscation of a UNESCO Anthology” in the émigré newspaper Belarus, March 1972.
Vera Rich was for many years a parishioner of the Belarusian Greek Catholic Church in London. She was buried there, in the new church.
A memorial panikhida for Vera Rich will be held on 25 April 2026 at 5:30 pm at the Church of St Cyril of Turau Church, Marian House, Holden Avenue, London N12 8HY.