Iryna Vilde


Iryna Vilde, a pen name of Daryna Dmytrivna Polotniuk, was a Ukrainian writer and Soviet correspondent.

Childhood and education

Vilde was born on May 5, 1907 in Chernivtsi, Austro-Hungarian monarchy. Her father was :uk:Макогон Дмитро Якович|Dmitro Makogon, a schoolteacher and writer, her mother, Adolphina Janiszewska, was a teacher. Vilde was married to Yevhen Polotniuk who in 1943 was executed by the Gestapo. With Polotniuk she had two children. She died after a long illness October 30, 1982 and was buried at the Lychakivskiy Cemetery in Lviv.
In 1927 she graduated in Stanislav private school. Expelled from school in 1930 as part of anti-Ukrainian Pacification operation, she nonetheless graduated in 1932 "University of John II Casimir in Lwow". Soon after graduation, due to material deprivation, she was forced to get a job in the magazine Zhinocha dolia in Kolomyia, where she worked until 1939.

Literary creativity

From 1930 to 1939 she published a number of short stories and novels about the life of the Western Ukrainian intelligentsia, the petty bourgeoisie, and students.
The first short story of the young writer Povist zyttia appeared in print in 1930. In 1935 she published the novel Metelyky na shpyl’kakh under the pseudonym “Iryna Vilde”.
During the war period, and after the unification of Western Ukraine with Ukrainian SSR, she continued to describe the familiar themes of family in bourgeois society. Her works contain a huge number of characters — protagonists from all public spheres of Galicia — the clergy, employees, workers, peasantry, petty bourgeoisie, as well as information on the activities of various parties and public organizations, the Polish administration policy, the economy, education and culture.
Among them are the anthology of short stories Khymerne sertse, the novelettes Metelyky na shpyl’kakh, the story Povnolitni dity, B’ie vos'ma.
Her postwar works: Nashi bat'ky roziishlysia, Iii portret , Stezhynamy zhyttia, Ti z Kowalskoi, Iabluni zatsvily vdruhe, Povisti ta opovidannia, Zhyttia til’ky pochynaiet’sia, Troiandy i ternia, the novel :uk:Сестри Річинські|Sestry Richynski and many others.
Richynski Sisters is the most celebrated work of the writer.
Iryna Vilde has been laureate of literary awards named after Ivan Franko, Taras Shevchenko in 1965 she was awarded the Order of Badge of Honor. She was a member of the Writers' Union and was put into the UNESCO list of known people of the 20th century.
Iryna Vilde wrote: "In order to achieve immortality a person must pass two exams: one in front of one's contemporaries, the second — before history." Iryna Vilde's works are now considered classics of Ukrainian literature.