Vladimir Vinnichenko

Was a brilliant, yet controversial figure. Son of a peasant, student with revolutionary ideas, noveliist and playwright, public dignitary of the Ukraine, emigrant... His experiences consisted of many arrests, punishment cells, service in penal batallion, illegal crossing of border, fame, wealth, oblivion...

Vinnichenko’s literary career commenced in 1902, and his early writings were highly assessed by such Ukrainian classics as Ivan Franko, Lesya Ukrainka, Mikhail Kotsubinsky.

Vinnichenko is author of plays “The Winds”, “The Sin”, “Big Lie”, “The Moment”, “Hairy Legs”, “Natus”, “The Nailed”, “The Crucifix”, “Happiness”, “Black Panther”. Many of these plays had successful runs in the Ukraine, Russia and later in Europe.

Treason, compromise, apostasy, wild uncontrolled desires, sexual problems and deeply suppressed instincts were always objects of the writer’s keen interest.