Overseas Ukrainians in the Soviet Life of Valerian Polishchuk

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31861/pytlit2022.105.147

Keywords:

emigration, Volodymyr Vynnychenko, Mykyta Shapoval, Oleksandr Oles, Pavlo Kovzhun, “Red Road” (“Chervonyi Shliakh”), “New Ukraine” (“Nova Ukraïna”)

Abstract

The vision of Ukraine as a national and cultural unity within ethnic Ukrainian lands not only did not disappear from the Polishchuk’s works in the Soviet period but was purposefully advanced in his multi-genre cultural practices. Establishing creative contacts with émigré writers as well as Polishchuk’s concept of a literary radio magazine became one of the most important directions of this activity. The article examines the connections of V. Polishchuk with émigré artists Volodymyr Vynnychenko, Mykyta Shapoval, Oleksandr Oles, and Pavlo Kovzhun. Analyzing their contacts, the author finds the permanent need for writers on different sides of the Soviet border to maintain a creative dialogue. The beginning for the dialogue was laid in the pre-Soviet period, that is, in the times of the UNR/Hetmanate/Directorate. In order to delegitimize the activities of Ukrainian political emigration, the idea of “two Ukraines”, Soviet and émigré, appeared in the Soviet discourse of the first half of the 1920s. Despite the use of rhetoric about the existence of “two Ukraines”, the main strategy of V. Polishchuk was not separation, but the combination of the proletarian image of Ukraine with national feelings and literary traditions. In a number of his publications, Polishchuk paid particular attention to the centers of Ukrainian cultural life outside the jurisdiction of the Soviet government (Lviv, Prague) investigating the life of foreign societies and artists. His texts about foreign countries were full of genuine interest. But with all frankness, part of Polishchuk’s biography remained outside the official pro-Soviet discourse, existing in understatements, hints, subtexts. However, we can consider the pre-Soviet period of Polishchuk’s biography as the main factor that influenced his views on the nationally determined Ukrainian cultural identity within the united Ukrainian territories.

Author Biography

Olesia Omelchuk, Shevchenko Institute of Literature NAS of Ukraine

Department of Theory Literature

Shevchenko Institute of Literature NAS of Ukraine

4, M. Hrushevskoho str., 01001, Kyiv, Ukraine

References

А. H. (1925). “Hartovantsi” v Prazi (Lyst iz Prahy) [“Hartovantsi” in Prague (Letter from Prague)]. Kul′tura, no. 4, pp. 51–56. (in Ukrainian).

Vynnychenko, V. (1923). Znamenna podiia [A significant event]. Nova Ukraïna, no. 6, pp. 8–27. (in Ukrainian).

Vynnychenko, V. (1983). Shchodennyk. 1921–1925 [Diary. 1921–1925]. Edmonton, New York : Kanads′kyi instytut ukraïns′kykh studii, vol. 2, 700 p. (in Ukrainian).

Danylenko, V. (2012). Ukraïns′ka intelihentsiia i vlada. Zvedennia sekretnoho viddilu DPU USRR 1927–1929 rr. [Ukrainian intelligentsia and the government. Compilation of the secret department of the DPU of the USSR 1927–1929]. Kyiv : Tempora, 756 p. (in Ukrainian).

Kapustiansky, I. (1925). Valerian Polishchuk [Valerian Polishchuk]. Kharkiv : DVU, 172 p. (in Ukrainian).

Karol, S. (1923). Khudozhni materialy v “Novii Ukraïni” [Art materials in “New Ukraine”]. Chervonyi shliakh, no. 2, pp. 304–311. (in Ukrainian).

Kosynka, H., Pidmohylny, V. and Osmachka, T. (1923). [Letter to the editor]. Chervonyi shliakh, no. 4–5, pp. 289–290. (in Ukrainian).

Lysenko, N. (2007). Tvorchi materialy ta lystuvannia O. Olesia v ioho emihratsiinomu arkhivi [Creative materials and correspondence of O. Oles in his emigration archive]. Spadshchyna: Literaturne dzhereloznavstvo. Tekstolohiia. Kyiv : PTs “Foliant”, vol. 3. pp. 95–159. (in Ukrainian).

Mishe-Nama (1923). Zhurnaly v Halychyni [Magazines in Galicia]. Visti VUTsVK, no. 149, p. 3. (in Ukrainian).

Nakaz deputatam do Trudovoho Konhresu [Order to deputies to the Labor Congress]. (1919). Respublikanets′, no. 29, p. 7. (in Ukrainian).

Nash, Hr. (1922). Zavdannia chasu [The task of time]. Nova Ukraïna, no. 1, pp. 1–4. (in Ukrainian).

“Nevzhe vypadkovo?” [Is it a coincidence?] (1923). Visti VUTsVK, no. 149, p. 3. (in Ukrainian).

Odvertyi lyst O. Olesiu [An open letter to O. Oles] (1924). Bil′shovyk, no. 11, pp. 6. (in Ukrainian).

Odvertyi lyst O. Olesiu (spilka studentiv-hromadian USRR v ChSR) [An open letter to O. Oles (union of students-citizens of the USSR in the CzSR)] (1924а). Literatura, nauka, mystetstva, no 2, p. 3. (in Ukrainian).

Ol, P. (1923). “Arena”, orhan Vseukraïns′koï Federatsiï Proletars′kykh Pys′mennykiv i Myttsiv, no. 1, 1922 [“Arena”, organ of the All-Ukrainian Federation of Proletarian Writers and Artists, no. 1, 1922]. Nova Ukraïna, no. 11, pp. 234–238. (in Ukrainian).

Pidmohylny, V. (1923). Lyst do redaktsiï [Letter to the editor]. Chervonyi shliakh, no. 2, p. 281. (in Ukrainian).

Polishchuk, V. (1918). Heroï Dyrektoriï [Heroes of the Directory]. Vidrodzhennia, no. 219, p. 3. (in Ukrainian).

Polishchuk, V. (1919). Dvanadtsiatyi chas [Twelfth time]. Respublikanets′, no. 18, p. 2. (in Ukrainian).

Polishchuk, V. (1925). Rozkol Ievropy [The split of Europe]. Kharkiv : Knyhospilka, 112 p. (in Ukrainian).

Polishchuk, V. (1929). Amal′hama [Amalgam]. Avanhard, no. 3, pp. 138–144. (in Ukrainian).

Polishchuk, V. (1929). Rozkvit ukraïns′koï literatury [The flowering of Ukrainian literature]. Mystets′ki Materiialy Avanhardu. Kharkiv, pp. 62–66. (in Ukrainian).

Polishchuk, V. (1931). Reid u Skandynaviiu [Raid in Scandinavia]. Kharkiv : Ruch, 271 p. (in Ukrainian).

Polishchuk, V. (1997). Blazhen, khto mozhe hority... Avtobiohrafiia, shchodennyky, lysty [Blessed is he who can burn... Autobiography, diaries, letters]. Rivne : Azaliia, 130 p. (in Ukrainian).

Polishchuk, V. (1934–1935). [Criminal proceedings]. HDA SBU, f. 6, spr. 36546-fp., op. 1, vol. 5, 355 sheet. (in Ukrainian).

Polishchuk, V. (1917–1918). Shchodennyk [Diary]. Viddil rukopysiv Instytutu literatury NAN Ukraïny, f. 136, od. zb. no. 4, 116 sheet. (in Ukrainian).

Sontsvit, V. (1928). Vikna povoli rozchyniaiut′sia [The windows slowly open]. Pluh, no. 1, pp. 71–72. (in Ukrainian).

Sontsvit, V. (1922). Halyts′ke molode mishchanstvo (Pro “Mytusu”) [Galician young bourgeoisie (About “Mytusa”)]. Shliakhy mystetstva, no. 2, pp. 56–57. (in Ukrainian).

Sribliansky, M. (1922). Holod na Ukraini i problema natsiï [Hunger in Ukraine and the problem of the nation]. Nova Ukraïna, no 6, pp. 1–4. (in Ukrainian).

Tvorcha robota mysttsiv [Creative work of artists] (1923). Chervonyi shliakh, no. 1, pp. 255–256. (in Ukrainian).

NN (1923). Monia-pornografist [Monya is a pornographer]. Nova Ukraïna, no. 3, pp. 182–184. (in Ukrainian).

Ukrainica (1923). Chervonyi shliakh, no. 6–7, p. 240. (in Ukrainian).

Published

2022-10-28

How to Cite

Omelchuk, O. “Overseas Ukrainians in the Soviet Life of Valerian Polishchuk”. Pitannâ lìteraturoznavstva, no. 105, Oct. 2022, pp. 147-71, doi:10.31861/pytlit2022.105.147.

Issue

Section

Emigrantology