Iryna Bykova, widow of Vasyl Bykau, hospitalized after heart attack at 98

Iryna Bykova, the 98-year-old widow of renowned writer Vasyl Bykau, was rushed to hospital on 28 December. She was discovered at her Minsk home on Tankavaya Street in need of urgent medical care. Doctors later confirmed she had suffered a heart attack. Bykova was taken to the 6th Traumatology Clinic, where examinations revealed a broken hip. She remains conscious but is currently receiving treatment in intensive care. Her 99th birthday falls on 13 January.

Decades ago, Bykova played a quiet but vital role in her husband’s literary career. She typed his early manuscripts on a typewriter when he was still an unknown author. Among the works she prepared were The Dead Feel No Pain, Sotnikov, and Sign of Trouble. Bykova is now recovering under medical supervision. Her injuries and heart condition require continued intensive treatment. The incident has drawn attention to her historical contribution to Belarusian literature.