The People's poet of Byelorussia Yakub Kolas during the years of World War II was among intelligentsia evacuated to Uzbekistan. In the poem "Uzbekistan" he wrote:
In heavy hour of severe war
You gave a shelter to me as well.
With Uzbek man we made verses
And songs about the war.
We hammered sword together with him Against spiteful hostile camp. You warmed me when I was in grief, My brother, Uzbekistan.
In the memory of Uzbek writers Yakub Kolas will forever remain as a dear friend. In Tashkent on the wall of the building No.88, in Pushkin street,where he lived and worked from August 14,1941 till November!, 1943, there is a memorial board.
Now in the republic live thousands of Byelorussians. Alienated from the Byelorussian land for many long years, lots of them did not know their native language, history and culture. It became possible to study the language and to recall the native culture only when Uzbekistan gained Independence. The Byelorussian cultural center with endearing name "Svitanak" (dawn) was established in Tashkent in October of 1993.
The Center actively participates in public life of Uzbe-kistan: it organizes various cultural-educational activities, lectures and concerts. We can mention here the choir of veterans "Katyusha", which was organized in 1989 and recently celebrated its 15th anniversary, or dance group "Dvizheniye" (movement) performing and presenting its program in various festive concerts.
There are also parties "Slavutiye Zemlyaki" devoted to famous Byelorussians, Days of Literature and Culture, charitable actions, celebrations of jubilee dates of people's writers of Byelorussia and Uzbekistan.