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Yakub Kolas became the vice-president of the Belarusian Academy of Sciences in 1929. The academy was established by the government of the Soviet Union as part of its policy of promoting national culture in the country's constituent republics. Kolas was a leading figure in the Belarusian cultural revival of the early 20th century, and his appointment to the academy was seen as a recognition of his contribution to Belarusian literature.