Karus Kaganets was a famous playwright, writer, linguist, artist, sculptor and methodist. He was born in Tobolsk,Russia.
He came from an old Belarusian noble family. His father, Karl Kastravitsky, owned a small hereditary estate in Novosyolki, Koidanovo region, had agricultural education, loved music.
His mother, Julia, came from the Sventaretsky family. In those times, it was a well-known noble family in Belarus.
For participation in the uprising of 1863-1864, Karl Kastravitsky, the future writer’s father, who was a member-referent of the rebel organization in the Minsk region, was deported to Tobolsk, his estate was confiscated. In Tobolsk he lived with his family and there KarusKastravitsky (Kaganets) was born.
In 1870 The Kostrovitsky's family was allowed to move to Kazan district and in 1872 they returned home in Belarus.
Initially Karus studied at home, then he continued his education at Minsk city College. He was also fond of painting and entered the Moscow school of painting, sculpture and architecture in 1890. There is evidence that Karus also studied in St. Petersburg. However, his education was not completed due to lack of money.
In 1899 Karus Kaganets married and settled on a plot of land "Foxes holes" (Primoguilie)and worked on the farm. The land was poor, so to keep his family of four children, he hadto seek additional earnings. He worked in a teashop in Minsk, in a Studio in Riga, for a charity organization in Minsk, had some other odd jobs.
Karus Kaganets took an active part in thenational liberation movement in Belarus.He was one of the founders and leaders of the Belarusian revolutionary community and the Belarusian socialist community, participated in their congresses, developed their programs and resolutions. For participation in The First Russian Revolution in 1905-1907 Karus Kaganets was arrested and put to Minsk prisonfor a year. Behind the prison walls he wrote a lot, painted, illustrated Y. Kolas’ works, who was there too.
After his jail release, he could not find work for a long time and had poor living conditions.In 1917, he chaired the Congress of Belarusian national organizations in Minsk. Unfortunately, his long-time disease, tuberculosis, forced him to move to his brother where he died at the age of fifty. He was buried in Novoselki village near Koidanovo (Dzerzhinsk).
Koganets began his literary activity in the 19th century. The earliest of his works that have reached us, date back to 1893. Articles and folk legends were published in the Newspapers "The sheet of Minsk" and "The Northwest territory", then he collaborated with "Nasha Niva". The edition of his books "Belarusian lemantar" (1906) and vaudeville "Fashion shlyahtich" (1910) were published throughout his life.His creative heritage has different genres: prose, poetry, drama, journalism. Most of his stories are based on legends, have special stylistic manner.
In his works, Karus Kaganets brought the problems of the Belarusian national revival, culture, language, education. Poetry of Kaganets is mainly journalistic, his patriotic ideas are close to the works of Bogushevich and Tsiotka. His poems were highly appreciated by M. Bogdanovich.
The genre of drama took a significant place in his work: vaudeville "Fashion shlyahtich" was very popular and was often played on the stage of the national theater.
He was a talented painter, graphic artist, sculptor, engaged in wood carving and ivory. In 1909,Karus Kaganets designed the cover for Y. Kolas’ book "Another reading for children of Belarusians". He was also fond of making political cartoons, which were popular in the community.
There is a street named after Karus Kaganets in Minsk. It is situated in Loshitsa residential district not far from the center of the capital.