Born: 25 February 1871, Ukraine
Died: 1 August 1913
Country most active: Ukraine
Also known as: Lesya Ukrainka, Леся Українка, Lessja Ukrainka
The following bio was written by Emma Rosen, author of On This Day She Made History: 366 Days With Women Who Shaped the World and This Day In Human Ingenuity & Discovery: 366 Days of Scientific Milestones with Women in the Spotlight, and has been republished with permission.
Lesya Ukrainka (Леся Українка) was born Larysa Petrivna Kosach in 1871 in Novohrad-Volynskyi, located in the Volhynian Governorate of the Russian Empire. She emerged as one of the most prominent figures in Ukrainian literature, renowned for her poems and plays. In addition to her literary contributions, she actively participated in political, civil, and feminist movements.
Ukrainka’s literary portfolio is extensive and diverse. It includes collections of poems such as “On the Wings of Songs” (1893), “Thoughts and Dreams” (1899), and “Echos” (1902). She also wrote the epic poem “Ancient Fairy Tale” (1893) and the play “One Word” (1903). Other notable plays include “Princess” (1913), “Cassandra” (1903—1907), “In the Catacombs” (1905), and “Forest Song” (1911).
A polyglot, Ukrainka was proficient in English, German, French, Italian, Greek, Latin, Polish, Russian, Bulgarian, and her native Ukrainian. Her works often reflect her belief in her country’s freedom and independence.
Beyond poetry and drama, Ukrainka also wrote epic poems, prose dramas, prose, literary criticism articles, and sociopolitical essays. Among her best-known works are the plays “Boyarynya” (The Noblewoman, 1914), a psychological tragedy set in a 17th-century Ukrainian family, and “Lisova pisnya” (The Forest Song, 1912), which features characters from Ukrainian folklore.
Ukrainka passed away in 1919, leaving behind a rich legacy in Ukrainian literature and culture.