Mikhail Kulesh
BelarusEarly Life and Education
Born on August 6, 1956, in the village of Polkotichi, Belarus, Mikhail Ivanovich Kulesh grew up in a family of farmers. After completing his primary education in nearby Skoryatichi, he graduated from Secondary School No. 4 in Pinsk in 1973. In the same year, he enrolled in the Philological Faculty of Belarusian State University, majoring in Belarusian and Russian Language and Literature.
Career in Education and Public Service
Upon graduating in 1978, Kulesh worked as a teacher in the Pinsk District and as an instructor for the regional Komsomol organization. He later served in the Internal Affairs Department. In 1987, he was transferred to Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia. After retiring from military service, he worked as a teacher, boarding school superintendent, and school director in Krasnoyarsk.
In 1996, Kulesh returned to Belarus and settled in Pinsk. He taught Russian Language and Literature at Pinsk Vocational School No. 88 and worked as a furniture sales manager at the Pinskdrev furniture company. Since 2008, he has resided in Brest, where he has been an individual entrepreneur and a teacher of additional education at Secondary School No. 10. Kulesh leads the "V Desyatochku" (Tenth Circle) literary club, whose members have achieved success in literary competitions and have been published in various publications.
Literary Career
Kulesh began writing poetry as a high school student. In 1972, he joined the "Orbita" literary association at the Pinsk District newspaper "Paleskaya Pravda." He published his first poem, "The Arrival of Spring," in 1973 in the same newspaper. Kulesh's work has also appeared in numerous other newspapers, magazines, and literary anthologies throughout Belarus, Russia, and beyond.
His poems explore themes of philosophy, love, patriotism, and humor. In recent years, he has focused on themes of reflecting on life and the transition from youth to maturity. Kulesh has translated several works by Belarusian poets into Russian and from Polish into Belarusian, and has edited poetry collections by other authors.
Personal Life
Mikhail Kulesh is married to Tatyana Vladimirovna Kulesh, who is also a business owner. Their daughter, Yelena Mikhaylovna, is an individual entrepreneur. Their granddaughter, Viktoria Sinkevich, attends Secondary School No. 10 in Brest and participates in her grandfather's literary club.
