Spotlight On Writers
Dmitriy Belyanin
- Where do you originate from?
I was born in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in 1986, in a republic of the former Soviet Union. Both of my parents are ethnic Russians, but over three generations on the side of both of my parents lived in the territory of Kazakhstan. I am grateful to my parents and grandparents, who played a role in my uprising. The “BM” part in the name of my Dmitriy BM channels on YouTube and TikTok are the first letters of Belyanin, my last name, and of Malivanov, the last name of my passed-away grandparents on my mother’s side. My grandmother always hoped that my poetry would become known to many readers, and I am fulfilling that hope.
Our country is ethnically and culturally diverse, and this played an important role in my uprising. Most people in Kazakhstan are fluent in Russian and are familiar with classical Russian literature. Kazakh is the state language of Kazakhstan, and the share of people fluent in it has increased significantly since the country became independent in 1991. English is the most widely studied and most promising foreign language, and my parents had made sure that I became fluent in it. From the age of nine in 1995 till the age of seventeen in 2004, I studied in an international school (the Almaty International School of Quality Schools International), where most teachers came from English-speaking countries and many students were foreign. Later, I attended KIMEP University, which has many foreign instructors. Exposure to different cultures played an important role in me being interested in literature in many languages. Currently, I am attending three local Kazakh language clubs and learning Kazakh. I am grateful to all my language teachers for having encouraged and motivated me to become interested.
- What do you cherish most about the place you call home?
It’s difficult to describe one aspect. I like the nature here and that of the surroundings of my home city. I appreciate the trees and the greenery in the city. I love our mountains. I enjoy the climate in Almaty, which is comparatively dry. It’s great that we have fruits and vegetables grown domestically. I also appreciate the peace during Kazakhstan’s post-Soviet history. It’s easier to appreciate the factors related to nature and benefit from them when one’s country is not at war.
- What ignites your creativity?
I wrote some comparatively powerful poems during periods when I myself or my country or the world faced difficulties or unusual experiences. For example, the poem It’s So Sweet at Home…, published on your website, was born when family circumstances made remote work a must. The poem I Won’t Forget My Classroom Globes was written when my former schoolmates and teachers from many countries contacted me during the January 2022 tragedy in Kazakhstan to ask how I was doing.
I spend plenty of time reading the works of classics. I pay attention to interesting rhymes and phrases. Besides translating from Russian to English, I have written imitations previously, labeling them as such on my poetry website pages. However, in my purely original works, I strive to develop and perfect my own writing style over time.
- Do you have a favorite word, and could you incorporate it into a poetic phrase?
My favorite word is phase, and I used it in my poem “The Poem of an Old Writer,” available on AllPoetry: “A new phase of life I face…”
We all experience phases in life, acquiring new experiences and sometimes gaining new strengths or weaknesses. People change. My experiences of interacting with people from different backgrounds and different environments fueled my personal growth. I don’t want to use the phrase “stages of life,” since the word “stage” can also mean the stage of a theater. When changes in character are abrupt, people take it as insincere. Nevertheless, if you meet someone you have not seen in person for many years, you will observe many changes. Few of my schoolmates would expect me to become an online poet in my younger school years and neither did my university peers, but life is full of surprises.
- What is your pet peeve?
My pet peeve is when people deliberately and systematically misspell words for ridicule, or otherwise insult the opponent for the sake of insulting, on the Internet or messenger clashes following discussions. This usually happens when one runs out of arguments. Though there are exceptions, more often than not, this shows that they are poorly informed about the topic being discussed and want to cover up their ignorance. I think spelling and grammar are important in written speech, and so are manners. Over time, I myself have learned to take my time to edit my writings and stay away from discussing any topic on which I may be inadequately informed on. I also do not position myself as a professional literary critic, since I want to focus on what I know I can do well.
- How would you describe the essence of Dmitriy Belyanin?
The modern world is often unpredictable and contradictory. We get exposed to different information. However, whatever one’s philosophical, political or religious views are, one should appreciate the beauty of various languages and literature that have been developing for generations. This is my main goal. I am glad that I am fluent in English and Russian and I have also been learning Kazakh, the state language of my counry, and have tried writing a few poems in it. I wish I had the resources to learn more languages to become fluent enough to write pieces of literature in them, but human life is short and quality is more important than quantity. I had attempted to study Turkish and French before, but had to give priority to perfecting my fluency and literary style in the three previously mentioned languages eventually. I look forward to continuing these pursuits.
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