Vasiliy Koroliv Ukrainian writer and public figure Date of Birth: 04.02.1879 Country: Czech

Biography of Vasyl Koroliv

Vasyl Koroliv, also known as Vasyl Koroliv-Old, was a Ukrainian writer and social activist. He was born in Poltava, Ukraine. Initially, he studied at the Poltava Theological Seminary but later transferred to the Kharkiv Veterinary Institute. After graduating from college in 1902, he worked as a veterinarian.

As a veterinarian, Koroliv published a popular handbook on animal health called "Skotolechebnik" ("Cattle Healer"). He actively participated in the revolutionary and Ukrainian nationalist movements and was arrested and sentenced in 1906. After his release, he became a journalist and worked as a correspondent for Ukrainian newspapers such as "Rada," "Khliborob," and "Zasiv."

Following the February Revolution in 1917, Koroliv worked as an editor at the "Chas" publishing house in Kyiv and also edited the magazine "Knigar." He was one of the initiators and the first chairman of the Society for School Education in 1917. Koroliv played an active role in Ukrainian politics and was one of the founders of the Ukrainian Central Council.

In 1919, he became a member of the Ukrainian diplomatic mission in Prague. However, due to the establishment of Soviet power in Ukraine, he was forced to stay in Czechoslovakia permanently. It was in Czechoslovakia that he met and married another Ukrainian writer, Natalena Koroliva, whom he had known since their time in Kyiv.

For many years, Vasyl Koroliv-Old taught at the Ukrainian Agricultural Academy in Podebrady, Czechoslovakia, while continuing his literary activities. One of his most significant works is the novel "Chmelik" ("Bumblebee"), published in Prague in 1920 but not yet published in Ukraine. The novel, subtitled "Around the World," tells the story of a young man from Poltava who is forced to leave his homeland. Despite settling in Australia, he longs for his homeland and eventually returns to Ukraine.

In addition to his literary works, Vasyl Koroliv-Old is also known for his artistic creations, particularly the icons he painted for churches in Zakarpattia. He also published a collection of fairy tales called "Nečysta sila" ("Unclean Power"), which was based on folklore. The collection is presented in an unusual way, as if the mythical characters decided to tell the truth about themselves during an international congress on Bald Mountain near Kyiv on Ivan Kupala night.