 |
Marko VovchokUkrainian writer and poetess, translator
Date of Birth: 10.12.1833
Country:  Ukraine |
Biography of Marko Vovchok
Maria Oleksandrivna Vilinska, better known by her pseudonym Marko Vovchok, was a Ukrainian writer, poet, and translator. She was born on December 10, 1833, in the village of Yekaterininske in the Orlovskaya Governorate. Her parents, Praskovia Petrovna and Alexander Alekseevich Vilinsky, were a noblewoman and an officer, respectively. Marko Vovchok had a younger brother, Dmitry Alexandrovich Vilinsky, who also became a well-known writer.
Marko Vovchok was a lively and sociable individual who won the hearts of the literary society. She was friends with many Ukrainian and Russian writers, scholars, and publicists, including Taras Shevchenko, Nikolai Kostomarov, Panteleimon Kulish, Nikolai Leskov, Ivan Turgenev, Alexander Herzen, and Nikolai Dobrolyubov.
As a knowledgeable and erudite woman, Marko Vovchok translated the works of Polish writers such as Bolesław Prus, as well as French writers like Victor Hugo and Jules Verne. She translated 15 novels by Jules Verne alone. In addition to translation, Marko Vovchok wrote her own works in Russian, French, and Ukrainian. Her first collection of stories was published in Ukrainian in 1857.
Most of Marko Vovchok's works strongly criticized serfdom and passionately depicted the historical past of Ukraine. She also conducted ethnographic research alongside her second husband, A.V. Markovich, traveling to cities and villages in Ukraine to collect materials.
Marko Vovchok's stories gained recognition beyond Ukraine. Pyotr Kulish published a separate book titled "Folk Tales by Marko Vovchok" in 1858, and Ivan Turgenev translated it into Russian in 1859. Prosper Mérimée translated her story "The Cossack Girl" into French, and her well-known novella "Marusya" was translated into French by Pierre-Jean Stål (Etzel) and received an award from the French Academy of Sciences. Her works have been translated into various other languages as well.
From 1859 to 1867, Marko Vovchok lived abroad, primarily in Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and France. From 1868 to 1870, she independently led the foreign literature department in the journal "Otechestvennye Zapiski," where she introduced new themes and genres into literature and revived interest in folklore traditions.
Marko Vovchok's works were characterized by their artistic narrative style, rich synonyms, and rhythmic language with various intonations. She was the first to write Ukrainian children's prose, leaving a significant mark on Ukrainian literature. Marko Vovchok's contribution as a writer, poet, translator, and advocate for Ukrainian culture and language remains highly regarded to this day.
