Leonid Smelyansky: what is the Ukrainian novelist and playwright known for

Leonid Smelyansky was a Ukrainian novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. He made a significant contribution to the development of twentieth-century literature.

Leonid Smelyansky was born in Konotop on 27 February 1904. He graduated from the Konotop Technical School of Railways. He began publishing in the era of fairly free literature, when there was no pressure from the Communists, namely in 1925. In 1928, his collection of short stories ‘New Dwellings’ was published.

Leonid Smelyansky’s work includes working-class prose and historical and biographical literature, in particular, about the events of the Second World War. He was one of the first to raise the topic of national identity as a means of humanising society in his books.

Among his most famous works: ‘Evshan Potion’, “Poet’s Youth”, “Golden Gate”, “Sofia”, “Man’s Ambassador”. His works were also used as the basis for the screenplays for the films Ivan Franko and Sashko.

Smelyansky’s historical and biographical novels and novels constitute his main works.

The novel in two books ‘Poet’s Youth’ (Book I – 1960, Book II – 1963) about Shevchenko is the best work on historical and biographical topics. The work began before the war. The author managed to successfully combine historical factuality with well-grounded and reliable artistic speculation.

This list also includes plays about Lesya Ukrainka, The Red Rose (1955) and Franko, The Man’s Ambassador (1956).

The title of the novel Yevshan Zillia, one of the most famous in his oeuvre, comes from the ancient Ukrainian Tale of Bygone Years. The episode with this steppe herb embodies the indomitable devotion to the native land. This motif actually unites both the epic of the partisan war and the episodes of the people’s resistance to the invasion of the occupiers.

‘Sofia’ is also one of the artist’s famous novels. The main motive is the national pain for the conquered land, plans to rebuild the destroyed, faith in victory, faith in new people hardened by trials who will create a new, better life.

Leonid Smelyansky lived in the Rolit house, and later in the Writers’ House at 6 Krasnoarmiiska Street (now Velyka Vasylkivska Street). He was buried at the Baikove cemetery.