Yakut State Platon Oyunskiy Literary Museum, Russia

Platon Oyunskiy (Russian: Платон Ойунский; 11 November 1893 — 31 October 1939), pseudonym of Platon Alekseevich Sleptsov (Платон Алексеевич Слепцов) was a Soviet Yakut statesman, writer and translator, seen as one of the founders of modern Yakut literature. He took part in the creation of the national written language and in the cultural building of the modern Yakut nation. Oyunsky is one of organizers of the Yakut autonomous republic, the Union of writers of Yakutia, Language and literature scientific research Institute.

He was born in 3 Zhekhsogon nasleg of Boturuss (nowadays Tatta) ulus. The origin of Sleptsovs was called «the origin of a shaman».

In 1914 he entered the Yakut teacher’s seminary, which he graduated in 1917. In 1917-1918 he studied at the Tomsk Teachers’ Institute.

Member of the CPSU since March 1918. In 1921 the chairman of the Gubrevko Committee of Yakutia, in 1922 the chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars, in 1923 the chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the Yakut ASSR. In 1928-1931 — People’s Commissar of Education and Health of Yakutia. In 1935, on his initiative, the Institute of Language and Culture under the SNK of the Yakut ASSR was established, where he was the first director. In the same year he defended in the Institute of Nationalities (Moscow) a thesis on the degree of candidate of linguistic sciences. Member of the Board of the Writers’ Union of the USSR in (1934-1938). Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of the 1st convocation.

The first poem was published in 1917. In 1919 he wrote a poem «Sin Biir Buolbaat?» Which became widely known at that time in Yakutia. His stories, novels, dramas entered the golden fund of literature of the Sakha people. As an ethnographer, I collected and prepared for publication the Yakut epics of the Olonkho «Duluruyar Nyurgun Bootur» (Nyurgun Bottur Swift) and «Tunalybyut nyurdaah Thujarima Kuo» (Beautiful Tuyaryma Kuo). He substantiated the use of the syllabo-tonic verse in the Yakut language. He translated into the Yakut language the classics of Russian and world literature.

February 3, 1938 was arrested by the NKVD in Irkutsk, when he returned from the first session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. It was charged with accusation of «leading a bourgeois-nationalist counter-revolutionary organization.»

He died in a hospital in the Yakut prison on October 31, 1939. Completely rehabilitated on October 15, 1955.

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The State Prize of the Yakut ASSR, awarded for achievements in literature, arts, and architecture, was named after him. His name bears the Sakha drama theater, a literary museum, one of the streets in Yakutsk.

P.A. Oyunskiy’s Literary Museum works since 1970. Yakut writers S.P. Danilov, V.A. Protodyakonov, D.K. Sivtsev – Suorun Omollon were institutors of the museum. During 30 years the museum has been working, it has done much work on advocacy and preservation of Yakut literature heritage. Unique documents, museum exhibits, and manuscripts of our standard authors: A.E. Kulakovskiy, A.I. Sofronov, N.D. Neustroev, P.A. Oyunskiy and other leading writers of Yakutia – are kept in the holdings and permanent exhibition of the museum.

P.A. Oyunskiy’s Memorial House-Museum and also a copy of Yakut yurt where the writer was born are included to the museum complex.

The museum has undertaken a substantial amount of various social-agitational works among population, first of all, youth. The museum often holds events that already became a tradition: olonkho evenings, ‘conversation around fire-place’, scientific days where lifetime shootings, records of many famous writers such as N.E. Mordinov – Amma Achygyia, V.M. Novikov – Kunnuk Urastyrov, N. Zabolotskiy, V.G. Chiryaev, Bolot Botur, P. Lamutskiy, N. Yakutskiy, Sofron Danilov, D.K. Sivtsev – Suorun Omollon, etc. are organized.

The museum works in close collaboration with the Union of Writers of Yakutia. Literary soirees, meetings with outstanding people of the republic, presentations, business and commemoration meetings are held there regularly, and they become a tradition. Also other social-political organizations hold activities in the museum, for example, the Union of Young Intellectuals has been holding an event dedicated to the Day of Republic for 7 consecutive years, Society of olonkho admirers, theatres and veterans, etc.

So, the museum has business relations with the Union of Writers and all general public and it has done much work on advocacy and preservation of Yakut literature heritage. Unique documents, museum exhibits, and manuscripts of our standard authors: A.E. Kulakovskiy, A.I. Sofronov, N.D. Neustroev, P.A. Oyunskiy and other leading writers of Yakutia – are kept in the holdings and permanent exhibition of the museum.

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