Vasyl Symonenko | |
|---|---|
| Native name | Василь Симоненко |
| Born | (1935-01-08)8 January 1935 |
| Died | 13 December 1963(1963-12-13) (aged 28) |
| Occupation | poet, public activist |
| Citizenship | Soviet Union |
| Alma mater | Kyiv University (1957) |
| Literary movement | Sixtiers |
| Notable awards | Shevchenko National Prize[1] |
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Vasyl Andriiovych Symonenko (Ukrainian:Василь Андрійович Симоненко; 8 January 1935 – 13 December 1963) was a Ukrainianpoet, journalist, activist ofdissident movement. He is considered one of the most important figures inUkrainian literature of the early 1960s. In the opinion of the Museum of the Dissident Movement inKyiv, the works and early death of Vasyl Symonenko had an enormous impact on the rise of the national democratic movement in Ukraine.[2]
He was born into apeasant family in the village ofBiivtsi,Kharkiv Oblast (todayPoltava Oblast).
After graduating fromKyiv State University in 1957, Vasyl Symonenko worked as ajournalist at several newspapers inCherkasy Oblast.
His debut book of poems "Тиша і грім / Tysha i hrim" ("Silence and thunder") was published in 1962 and made the talent of Symonenko apparent amongst the young poets. His literary environment included the poetsMykola Vinhranovsky,Ivan Drach andLina Kostenko, the publicists, criticsIvan Dziuba,Ivan Svitlichny,Yevhen Sverstiuk, who, with other Ukrainianintilligensia of the time, made a group which is now known as theшістдестятники (Sixtiers).[3]
During his last year Vasyl Symonenko wrote his second book – "Земне тяжіння / Zemne tyazhinnya" ("Earth’s gravity"), verses from which were quoted, written out (adding what theSoviet censorship had omitted), learned off by heart and compared with the poetry ofTaras Shevchenko.[2]
In 1962, Symonenko together with his friends A. Horska andLes Tanyuk, uncovered the burial places ofNKVD repressions inBykivnia, Lukianivskyi and Vasyslkivskyi cemeteries nearKyiv. Because of this, he was cited by the Kyiv City Council.[clarification needed] According to some scholars, this could have caused his falling out of favour with the government, and, possibly, his death.
In 1963, Symonenko was beaten badly by employees of the localmilitsiya at theSmila railway station. He never recovered fromkidney failure, and died soon after in the local hospital on 13 December 1963.
After his death, his satiric tale-poem "Travel to the country of Vice-versa" was published (1964).
The fullest collection of Symonenko's works was published abroad, under the title "Берег чекань" ("Shore of anticipation") inMunich (1963).[2]
In 1967, the publishing house "Smoloskyp" was created inBaltimore by Ukrainian emigrants and named after Vasyl Symonenko.[4]
In December 2008, theNational Bank of Ukraine issued into circulation a commemorative coin "Vasyl Symonenko" within "Outstanding Personalities of Ukraine" series.[5]
The Ukrainian director Oleksandr Zherebko, having formed a creative tandem with Angelina Dyatlova, created an adaptation of the poetry "You Didn’t Come to Me from a Tale or a Dream"(Ukrainian: “Ти до мене прийшла не із казки чи сну”) by Vasyl Symonenko.[6][7]
His works have been translated partially into English.
Media related toVasyl Symonenko at Wikimedia Commons