Vynnychenko, Volodymyr

Bilia Mashyny [By the Machine]

Kyiv: Dzvin, 1919. Item #764

32 pages. 22 cm. Text in Ukrainian. Uncut but fragile with significant chipping.

Volodymyr Kyrylovych Vynnychenko (1880 – 1951) was a multifaceted Ukrainian figure, renowned as a statesman, political activist, writer, playwright, and artist. He held the esteemed position of the first prime minister of the Ukrainian People's Republic. Vynnychenko's literary contributions are hailed in Ukrainian literature, where he stands as a prominent modernist writer of pre-revolutionary Ukraine, crafting an impressive body of short stories, novels, and plays. However, during the Soviet era, his works, like those of many Ukrainian writers, faced prohibition from the 1930s until the mid-1980s.

Before his entry into the realm of Ukrainian politics, Vynnychenko was a dedicated political activist. He resided in Western Europe from 1906 to 1914, where he was deeply engaged in Ukrainian revolutionary circles. His literary creations bear the indelible imprint of his immersion in this milieu, reflecting the experiences of impoverished and working-class individuals, as well as the lives of émigrés from the Russian Empire residing in Western Europe.

As of January 2024, OCLC locates five other copies of this edition in North America.

Price: $100.00