Lopatto, Shelumiel

Born in Troki in a poor Karaite family ^[1] . His father is a new- bourgeois tradesman Yoshiyagu Lopatto, a tailor from Ponevezha , mother - Manya Dubinskaya, originally from Trok ^[2] . He had a brother Joseph (drowned in the island of Galvé in 1910) and a sister Paradise. At the age of 7, he lost his mother. In 1911-1915 he studied at the Trok primary school for Karaite children under Isaac-Boaz Firkovich ^[1] . Deciding to continue his studies, on the advice of his relatives, he went to St. Petersburg , where in 1915-1916 he attended a male gymnasium. Soon his whole family moved there. Due to the outbreak of the war, many Karaites from the western provinces of Russia moved to Crimea. The Lopatto family, who settled in Yevpatoriya , did the same ^[2] . There, in 1916-1920, Shelumiel studied at the Alexander Karaite Theological School , which he graduated with “excellent” ^[1] . In 1920, the Lopatto family returned home and settled in Panevezys, where Shelumiel learned the Lithuanian language and began working as a clerk in Pasvalis ^[3] . On March 8, 1921 he was registered as a candidate for the position of teacher in the Education Department of the Birzha-Posvolsky District. In July 1923 he graduated from the forestry college and became a forestry technician. He worked as a deputy forester ^[2] .

He was killed by bandits on September 20, 1923 near Panevezys during the performance of official duties ^{[2] [4]} . The culprits were not found. He was buried in a cemetery in Naujamestis ^[3] .

Poetic talent manifested itself during the years of life in Yevpatoriya, where Shelumiel wrote his first poems in the Karaite language. In them, the poet reflected the hardships of his life, his love for people and his native land. Lopatto's poetic images were inspired by biblical and religious motifs, as the names of some of his poems speak ^[5] . According to Alexander Mardkovich , in the poem “Mockery of Fate” ( karaite. Kültküsü gorałnyn ), the author “ conveys the memories of his mother and that hopelessly miserable environment in which he had to live and grow ” ^[4] . Highly appreciated the poetry of S. Lopatto, the Lithuanian poetess Judita Vaiciunaite ^[3] . Shelumiel Lopatto also devoted his free time to science and self-education, social activities. He actively participated in the life of the Karaite community, introducing young people to literature. In 1923 he was one of the founders of the Panevezys society of Karaite youth “Onarmah” ^[6] . He was engaged in the translation and writing of plays for the amateur Karaite theater. According to some reports, he held divine services in Panevezys kenassa ^[2] .

Compositions

Shelumiel Lopatto's poetry was published posthumously in the Karaite magazines Karaj Awazy , Onarmach , Awazymyz , and was also translated into Polish and Lithuanian ^{[1] [2] [7] [8]} .

• Klaklar // Karaj Awazy. - Łuck, 1932. - No. 2 (4) . - S. 4 .
• Tanbyłahy wachtłej // Karaj Awazy. - Łuck, 1932. - No. 2 (4) . - S. 4 .
• Küsiancz // Karaj Awazy. - Łuck, 1932. - No. 2 (4) . - S. 4 .
• Awo bigwurot Adonaj Elohim // Karaj Awazy. - Łuck, 1932. - No. 2 (4) . - S. 4-5 .
• Kültküsü gorałnyn // Karaj Awazy. - Łuck, 1932. - No. 2 (4) . - S. 5 .
• Kaiń (V. Hugo'dan) // Karaj Awazy. - Łuck, 1932. - No. 2 (4) . - S. 5-6 .
• Iszancz // Karaj Awazy. - Łuck, 1932. - No. 2 (4) . - S. 6 .
• Uszattyrmach Dawidnin Mizmorłaryna // Karaj Awazy. - Łuck, 1932. - No. 2 (4) . - S. 6-7 .
• Mi jaale bahar Adonaj // Onarmach. - Panevėžys, 1939. - No. 1 . - S. 14 .
• Sahyšlar // Onarmach. - Panevėžys, 1939. - No. 1 . - S. 14 .
• Hannah-aunt // “Karay yyrlary”: a collection of poetry of Lithuanian Karaites / comp. M.I. Firkovich. - Vilnius, 1989 .-- S. 153.

In honor of the 10th anniversary of the death of the Panevezys Karaite society, a postcard was issued with a portrait of Shelumiel Lopatto ^[9] .

• Shapshal S.M. Karaites in Lithuania and Poland // Karaite People's Encyclopedia. - M. , 1995. - T. 1: Introductory / comp. M.S. Sarach . - 247 p. - ( Karaite People's Encyclopedia : in 6 volumes / Ch. Ed. M.S. Sarach; 1995-2007). - ISBN 5-201-14258-3 .
• Kizilov M. The Sons of Scripture: The Karaites in Poland and Lithuania in the Twentieth Century . - Berlin; Warsaw: De Gruyter Open, 2015 .-- P. 527. - ISBN 978-3-11-042525-3 .
• Walfish, Barry Dov. Literature In The Turkic Languages ​​Of The East European Karaites // Bibliographia Karaitica: An Annotated Bibliography of Karaites and Karaism / Kizilov, Mikhail. - BRILL, 2011 .-- Vol. 2. - 892 p. - (Karaite Texts and Studies). - ISBN 978-90-04-18927-0 .