Ivan Ptashnikov
Ptashnikov, Ivan Nikolaevich
Born Oct. 7, 1932, in the village of Zadrozd’e, Logoisk Raion, Minsk Oblast. Soviet Byelorussian writer.
The son of a peasant, Ptashnikov graduated from the division of journalism of the Byelorussian University in 1957. His first book was The Grains Fall Not on Stone (1959). He has written the novels Await Me in Far-off Grini (1962) and Mstizhi (1970), the novellas Lonva (1965) and Tartak (1968), and the short-story collection Stepan Zhikhar From Steshitsy (1966). Ptashnikov portrays contemporary Byelorussian life. A subtle depicter of nature, he has mastered the rich resources of folk language. Many of his works have been translated into Russian and other languages. He has been awarded the Order of the Badge of Honor and a medal.