8 worthy pieces of Ukrainian literature classics you can read in English
Ukrainian Digital marketer, who is also fond of Art, History, and Culture, Svitlana Khytrenko shared on Twitter 8 pieces of Ukrainian literature classics translated into English worth paying attention to. Apart from brief plot overviews, she added links to PDFs where you can find English versions of each book (most of them are available for free). AIN.Capital shares her list.
“I am (romance)” by Mykola Khvylovy
“I am (romance)” is a psychological novel by the Ukrainian writer Mykola Khvylovy, the idea of which is the fatal discrepancy between the ideals of the revolution and the methods of achieving them, the condemnation of Bolshevik revolutionary fanaticism.
“Forest Song” by Lesia Ukrainka
Ancient Ukrainian forests keep many secrets and mysteries. Unusual mythical creatures live here, guarding their world invisible to the human eye. This idea is the basis of Lesya Ukrainka’s extravaganza drama “Forest Song”.
“The City” by Valerian Pidmohylny (part 1, part 2)
“The City” is considered to be the first urban novel in Ukrainian literature. The writer recreates the atmosphere of everyday, cultural and artistic life of Kyiv at that time.
“Eneida” by Ivan Kotliarevskyi
Kotliarevskyi’s poem “Eneida” reflects the Ukrainian reality of the XVIII century with its life, customs, rituals, traditions, its history. I.Kotliarevskyi’s creative heritage marked the beginning of a new era of Ukrainian literature.
“Zakhar Berkut” by Ivan Franko
“Zakhar Berkut” is a historical novel by Ivan Franko about the struggle of ancient Carpathian communities against the Mongol invasion.
Some other Ivan Franko’s stories and poems, translated into English, can be found here.
“The Stone Cross” by Vasyl Stefanyk
The novel “The Stone Cross” by Vasyl Stefanyk depicts the tragedy of the resettlement of Galician peasants to Canada at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries.
“Enchanted Desna” by Oleksandr Dovzhenko
Oleksandr Dovzhenko’s cinematic novel “Enchanted Desna” does not have a clear plot. It consists of separate memories reminiscent of short stories, which tell about the ordinary life of bread-makers, about their hard and important work.
“Tiger Trappers” or “The Hunters and the Hunted” by Ivan Bagrianiy
“Tiger Trappers” by Ivan Bagrianiy tells a story of a political prisoner who escapes from Gulag train and lives in Taiga with local hunters.