Lithuanian-Polish nobleman, famous translator, publicist and poet, who wrote mainly in Polish.
He was born in a small village of Smolgava south of Minsk (now Belarus) in a noble family. His father was Aleksander Kajetan Kondratowicz, mother Viktorija Zlotkowska. 1833-1837 studied at the Dominican monastery school in Nesvyžius and in Naugarduk, he had to stop his studies due to financial problems and became the economist of the Radvilai manor in Nesvyžius. in 1844 He married Paulina Mitraševska (Mitraszewska) in Nesvižiš. Four children were born in the marriage, three of whom died in 1852. during an epidemic. in 1844 settled with his family in the Zaluš manor near the Nemunas, where he lived until 1853. While living here, V. Sirokomlė started to create.
in 1853 moved to the Bareikiškii manor near Vilnius, where he created most of his works. V.Sirokomlė organized a literary salon in her apartment in Vilnius, Vokiečių street. Celebrities of those times used to gather there - A.E. Odinec, M. Malinovskis, E. Tiškevičius, St. Moniushka. While living in Vilnius, he fell ill with tuberculosis. Since 1860 took up work in the publication "Kurjer Wilenski", prepared columns on historical and literary topics. Advocated the liberation of peasants in the Russian Empire and the separation of Lithuania-Poland from the Russian Empire. For participating in the anti-Russian demonstration in 1861. was arrested by security guards. He was placed under house arrest in the Bareikiškii manor, where in 1862 September 15 he died. Buried in Vilnius, Rasa cemetery.
Creation
The people, history, and nature of historical Lithuania appear in the works.
The humorous work "Thoughts of Regent Sikorski" and the collection of sonnets "Memories about Nesvyžių" are considered the first works signed under the pseudonym of V. Sirokomlė. He also wrote the comedies "Fashionable Wife", "House in the Woods", "Village Politicians", the conversation series "About the Glory of God and the King", the poem "Margiris", "The Old Gate", "Three Lithuanian Daughters", he translated the works of Renaissance poets from Latin languages.
Prepared travel notes about Lithuanian nature, cultural monuments and people "Nemunas from springs to mouth" and "Excursions to Lithuania from Vilnius". The latter, published in 1857, describes Trakai, Stakliškės. These data are considered valuable in the 19th century. historical source. Since 1860 published a collection of articles about Nesvyžių.
He published a history of Polish literature ("Dzieje literatury w Polsce", II edition in Warsaw in 1875, 3 volumes), as well as translations of the works of Polish poets Janicki, Sarbiewski, Szymonowicz, Klonowicz, who wrote in Latin (Vilnius, 1852, 6 volumes ). A complete collection of his poetry was published in 10 volumes (Warsaw, 1872). In addition to his original work, he translated from Latin, French, German, Russian, Ukrainian languages, alongside other works by P.J. Béranger, J.V. Götė, H. Heinė, M. Lermontov, N. Nekrasov, T. Shevchenko.
