Short biography of Valeriy Shevchuk

Valeriy Shevchuk was born August 20, 1939 in a family of a shoemaker in Zhytomyr. After graduating in 1956, in school he wanted to be a geologist, but disappointed in geology, left to Lviv to join Lvivskyy Forestry Institute. After Failing, Valeriy returned home. He worked in the Zhytomyr Agricultural Institute (now - Zhytomyr National Agroecological University) as a building pander. During this period, admired study of literature, including Ukrainian.

In 1957, Valeriy Shevchuk graduated from technical school and was sent to work at a mixing plant. In 1958 he joined the History and Philosophy Department of the University. While studying, established relationships with Literary Studies, "January" (studio of V. Chumak) and "Youth", wrote poetry, in 1960 he began writing short stories.

In 1961, his debut story "Настюнька" about Shevchenko in the book "Wreath Kobzaryu", released in Zhytomyr. In Spring 1961 Literary Studio "Sich" issued a newspaper "Заспів", which had a story by V. Shevchuk "Шось хочеться". In that story there had been a sharp response in the university newspaper "Для радянські кадри." According to the newspaper "Заспів" where Taras Shevchenko was painted with a green mustache, they wanted to expel Shevchuk from the university, he was persecuted by the KGB, interrogated, but excluded the artist who painted that newspaper.

In 1961, Valeriy Shevchuk wrote 18 short stories and the first article "S. Vasilchenko in Korostishevskaya seminary "for the Zhytomyr collection, and the next year he wrote 20 novels, some of which were published mainly in magazines" Вітчизна "and "Літературна Україна".

Today V. Shevchuk is a teacher in Kiev National University. Shevchenko, a host of historical and social cyclic annuals of Ukrainian radio programs: "Козацька держава", "Kиїв, культурний і державний", "Загадки і таємниці української літератури", "Цікаве Літературознавство".

His most famous literary works are: “Дім на горі (1983)”, “Житомирська сага (1994)”, “Око прірви” (1996), “Дорога в тисячу років” (1990), “Козацька Держава” (1995) etc.

V. Shevchuk, laureate of the State Prize of Ukraine. Taras Shevchenko Prize and Foundation of Antonovich, literary awards named in honour of E Malaniuk, O. Pchilka, O. Kopylenko, I Ohienka (2001).

In November 29, 2011, there was an Institute of Philology and Journalism of Zhytomyr State University established and named after Ivan Franko Prize of Valeriy Shevchuk (Shevchuk's premium) - Ukrainian literary prize, creative award for the best book of prose published in Ukrainian in the previous calendar year, is awarded annually in April at a special ceremony at the Institute of Philology and Journalism of Zhytomyr State University.

Part 1. Valeriy Shevchuk's dedication in literature

1.1 Literary works of V. Shevchuk

Valeriy Shevchuk actively uses archetypes of the national spirit, national folk-mythological thinking which is the foundation of folk art. The basic and unifying image in the investigated novels is the archetype of the house. There is a concrete house on bases of which is built on a generalized image of the world.

Main Character of this novel — literary writer and calligrapher Мyhailo Vasylevych — creator of the famous Peresopnytskiy Yevangeliy. In the search of the lost creative energy, he survives the experiences of surprising adventures that will obviously get the readers attention. In addition to this literary work it will incite the reader to think about the main issues of human existence.

The literary works of Valeriy Shevchuk shows us the distinguished artistic world, the entire system of universal philosophic outlook and a person in it trying to understand the purpose of life. In particular, the human spirit appears here like a microcosm with a vector in fighting good and evil. In this prose we trace back generations ago to the spiritual developement of the Ukrainian people, human dialects – Ukrainian – souls from before Christ era up to the new era, totalitarian and post-colonial eras. This prose all in all is modern with its literary-stylistic pecularities; it gives a wide-ranged, stereoscopic view about a Ukrainian person like in specific historical, national, ethno-psychological and social-political conditions, as well as successful or unsuccessful attempts of this person to get out of the web of built in monotonous and spiritual poverty.