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Platon VoronkoUkrainian Soviet poet
Date of Birth: 01.12.1913
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Content:
- Birth and Early Life
- Literary Career
- Military Service
- Post-War Career
- Literary Works
- Awards and Honors
- - Lenin Komsomol Prize of Ukraine named after N. A. Ostrovsky (1962)
Birth and Early Life
Petro Voronko was born on November 18, 1913, in the village of Chernetchina, now part of the Sumy Oblast in Ukraine. His father was a blacksmith, and his grandfather was a kobzar (a traditional Ukrainian folk singer). From the age of 10, he was raised in the Ahktyrsky orphanage and completed his seven-year education there.
Literary Career
In 1932, Voronko graduated from an auto technical school. He began writing poetry in his youth and joined the Communist Party in 1943. He studied at the Maxim Gorky Literature Institute in Moscow from 1938 to 1941.
Military Service
Voronko fought in the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939-1940 and the Great Patriotic War. He commanded a group of miners and saboteurs in the партизанское соединение under the leadership of S. A. Kovpak.
Post-War Career
After the war, Voronko worked as an editor for the magazine "Dnipro" and was a member of the Presidium of the Writers' Union of the Ukrainian SSR. He was elected to the Kyiv City Council and the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR.
Literary Works
Voronko wrote numerous poetry collections, including "My World," "Good Morning," "Dear Friends," and "At the Will of Thine." His poems often celebrated the struggles of partisans, the youth, and the building of socialism. They were infused with a nationalistic spirit and became widely popular, with many being set to music. He also wrote children's poetry, such as "Our Happiness" and "To Stalin."
Awards and Honors
- Stalin Prize (3rd degree, 1951)- Two Orders of Lenin
- Order of the Red Banner
- Order of the Patriotic War (1st and 2nd degrees)
- State Prize of the Ukrainian SSR named after T. G. Shevchenko (1972)
- Lenin Komsomol Prize of Ukraine named after N. A. Ostrovsky (1962)
- Lesya Ukrainka Prize (1976)Death and Legacy
Petro Voronko died on August 10, 1988, and was buried in the Baikovo Cemetery in Kyiv. His works continue to be celebrated for their lyrical beauty, nationalistic sentiment, and the portrayal of the struggles and aspirations of the Ukrainian people.
