New Book *Oblivion* Resurrects a Forgotten Ancestor’s Story Through Art
A new book titled Oblivion uncovers the forgotten life of Amelyan, a Belarusian man executed by the Nazis in 1943. Written by Viktor Martinovich, the work blends family history with broader reflections on art and memory. The book’s launch will take place in Vilnius on January 15, offering readers a chance to explore a story told through the eyes of artists like Raphael, Chagall, and Soutine.
Viktor Martinovich, a Belarusian author, initially set out to study the 'language of the humanities' during his Fulbright research. Over time, his focus shifted to a bold claim: art is the new language of the humanities. This idea became central to Oblivion, a book that reconstructs the life of his great-grandfather, Amelyan—a man he never met but whose legacy shaped his family.
Amelyan’s life spanned turbulent eras. He served as a conscript in the tsar’s army, worked as a miller, and later endured German occupation as a peasant. His story, fragmented by time, is pieced together through historical records and artistic interpretations. The Nazis executed him in 1943, yet his memory lives on in the works of renowned painters who captured the struggles of his era. Martinovich’s own life mirrors the shifts of his homeland. He grew up as a Soviet pioneer before the USSR’s collapse, then gained recognition as a writer during Belarus’s brief period of freedom. Now, with Oblivion, he turns to autoethnography, using his family’s past to explore broader themes of survival and cultural memory. Published by Oxford’s Routledge, the book carries a price tag compared to that of a Rolls-Royce wing—a nod to its depth and ambition. The official presentation will be held at the Crystal Lounge of Vilnius’s Imperial Hotel & Restaurant, starting at 6:00 PM on January 15.
The launch of Oblivion brings Amelyan’s story to a wider audience, framed by art and historical inquiry. The book stands as both a personal tribute and a scholarly argument for art’s role in preserving human experience. Readers and attendees will have the chance to engage with a narrative that bridges past and present through one family’s journey.
