Evasive Shadow of Life: Selected Poems

Volodymyr Svidzinsky (1885-1941) was one of the most prominent Ukrainian poets of his time and a virtuoso of lyrical poetic miniatures. His poetic oeuvre was only recently published in its entirety and this has led to the unexpected–even sensational–discovery of a masterful lyrical voice in Ukrainian poetry. Svidzinsky’s poetry represents a unique synthesis of classical poetic tradition, Ukrainian modernism, folkloric elements, and mythopoetic way of thinking. His poetry was banned in the USSR for decades and the poet himself was brutally murdered by the Soviet secret police. Now, Svidzinsky’s legacy has finally assumed its rightful place in the Ukrainian literary canon. For the English reader, this bilingual edition of Svidzinsky’s selected poems represents the first opportunity to get acquainted with a broader selection of his poetic works.