Volodymyr Sosyura
Encyclopedia
Volodymyr Sosyura (born January 6, 1898 in Debaltseve
, in the Yekaterinoslav Governorate
(today Donbas region) of the Russian Empire
- died January 8, 1965 in Kiev
, in the Ukrainian SSR
of the Soviet Union
) was a Ukrainian
lyric poet.
during the winter of 1918 to the autumn of 1919, before being taken prisoner by Denikin's Volunteer Army
. He was sentenced to death, but managed to escape. Later, after the UPR
was overrun, he joined the Red Army
.
After the Russian Civil War
in Ukraine ended (see Ukraine after Russian Revolution), he studied at the Artem Communist University in Kharkiv
from 1922–23, then at the workers' faculty of the Public Education Institute (Kharkiv
) from 1923-25. Sosyura belonged to the Ukrainian
literary organizations Pluh, Hart, VAPLITE
, and the All-Ukrainian Association of Proletarian Writers.
In the 1920s-30s Sosiura became very popular, but his ideological loyalties were torn between patriotic feelings for Ukraine
and those for the Soviet Union
and its often-changing ideologies. Even though he had long been a member of the CPU(b)
, he was frequently in conflict with it, and was twice expelled for “nationalistic undertones,” he was even forced to undergo a “reeducation” at a factory in 1930-1931. Many of Sosyura's poems were not published.
In 1948 he was awarded the highest honors of the Stalin Prize, but then he came under harsh criticism for his poem entitled Love Ukraine (Любіть Україну), which was deemed too nationalistic in its tone by several Soviet news-media including Pravda
. Afterwards his wife was arrested and spent six years in NKVD
prisons.
Sosyura died in Kiev at the age of 66.
Love Ukraine
Love Ukraine, like sun that you love
Like wind, like grass, and like water,
Whenever you're happy, in moments of gladness,
At times of trouble, do love.
Love Ukraine when asleep or awake
The glamorous your Ukraine
The beauty of it, always alive and new
And language of hers full of charm.
Amongst the brother-made nations, like garden in dew
She shines through the ages again
Love Ukraine with all of your heart
And all of the deeds that you make...
For further reading refer here
Debaltseve
Debaltseve is a city in the Donetsk Oblast of Ukraine. Its population is 30,246 . The city was established in 1878. It has a large railway station....
, in the Yekaterinoslav Governorate
Yekaterinoslav Governorate
The Yekaterinoslav Governorate or Government of Yekaterinoslav was a governorate in the Russian Empire. Its capital was the city of Yekaterinoslav .-Administrative divisions:...
(today Donbas region) of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
- died January 8, 1965 in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
, in the Ukrainian SSR
Ukrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or in short, the Ukrainian SSR was a sovereign Soviet Socialist state and one of the fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union lasting from its inception in 1922 to the breakup in 1991...
of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
) was a Ukrainian
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
lyric poet.
Brief biography
Sosyura fought in Petliura's Ukrainian People's ArmyUkrainian People's Army
The Ukrainian People's Army , also known as the Ukrainian National Army were often quickly reorganized units of the former Russian Imperial Army or newly formed volunteer detachments that later joined the national armed forces. The army for a long period lacked a certain degree of uniformity,...
during the winter of 1918 to the autumn of 1919, before being taken prisoner by Denikin's Volunteer Army
Volunteer Army
The Volunteer Army was an anti-Bolshevik army in South Russia during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1920....
. He was sentenced to death, but managed to escape. Later, after the UPR
UPR
UPR may refer to:*Popular Republican Union was a Christian democratic party in Alsace, France during the Third Republic. Founded in 1919, the UPR became the dominant party in Alsace during the Interwar era....
was overrun, he joined the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
.
After the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
in Ukraine ended (see Ukraine after Russian Revolution), he studied at the Artem Communist University in Kharkiv
Kharkiv
Kharkiv or Kharkov is the second-largest city in Ukraine.The city was founded in 1654 and was a major centre of Ukrainian culture in the Russian Empire. Kharkiv became the first city in Ukraine where the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed in December 1917 and Soviet government was...
from 1922–23, then at the workers' faculty of the Public Education Institute (Kharkiv
Kharkiv
Kharkiv or Kharkov is the second-largest city in Ukraine.The city was founded in 1654 and was a major centre of Ukrainian culture in the Russian Empire. Kharkiv became the first city in Ukraine where the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed in December 1917 and Soviet government was...
) from 1923-25. Sosyura belonged to the Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
literary organizations Pluh, Hart, VAPLITE
VAPLITE
Vilna Akademia Proletarskoi LITEratury was a literary union in Ukraine. It was established in Kharkiv and existed from January, 1926 to January 28, 1928....
, and the All-Ukrainian Association of Proletarian Writers.
In the 1920s-30s Sosiura became very popular, but his ideological loyalties were torn between patriotic feelings for Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
and those for the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and its often-changing ideologies. Even though he had long been a member of the CPU(b)
Communist Party of Ukraine
The Communist Party of Ukraine is a political party in Ukraine, currently led by Petro Symonenko.The party fights the Ukrainian national self-determination by identifying any Ukrainian national parties as the National-Fascist ones The Communist Party of Ukraine is a political party in Ukraine,...
, he was frequently in conflict with it, and was twice expelled for “nationalistic undertones,” he was even forced to undergo a “reeducation” at a factory in 1930-1931. Many of Sosyura's poems were not published.
In 1948 he was awarded the highest honors of the Stalin Prize, but then he came under harsh criticism for his poem entitled Love Ukraine (Любіть Україну), which was deemed too nationalistic in its tone by several Soviet news-media including Pravda
Pravda
Pravda was a leading newspaper of the Soviet Union and an official organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party between 1912 and 1991....
. Afterwards his wife was arrested and spent six years in NKVD
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
prisons.
Sosyura died in Kiev at the age of 66.
Works
His works include numerous poems that vary from the patriotic genre to love poems such as Love Ukraine, The Late Summer (Babyne Lito), To Maria, Stalin, and many, many others.Love Ukraine
Love Ukraine, like sun that you love
Like wind, like grass, and like water,
Whenever you're happy, in moments of gladness,
At times of trouble, do love.
Love Ukraine when asleep or awake
The glamorous your Ukraine
The beauty of it, always alive and new
And language of hers full of charm.
Amongst the brother-made nations, like garden in dew
She shines through the ages again
Love Ukraine with all of your heart
And all of the deeds that you make...
For further reading refer here
Legacy
His portrait and title of his poem, Love Ukraine, are featured on a two Hryvnia coin.