Poet and playwright; the 鈥榝ounder鈥� of modern Ukrainian literature. After studying at the Poltava Theological Seminary (1780鈥�9), he worked as a tutor at rural gentry estates, where he became acquainted with folk life and the peasant vernacular, and then served in the Russian army (1796鈥�1808). In 1810 he became the trustee of an institution for the education of children of impoverished nobles. In 1812 he organized a Cossack cavalry regiment to fight Napoleon Bonaparte and served in it as a major (see Ukrainian regiments in 1812). He helped stage theatrical productions at the Poltava governor-general's residence and was the artistic director of the Poltava Free Theater (1812鈥�21). From 1827 to 1835 he directed several philanthropic agencies.
'Eneida' is the magnum opus of the Ukrainian writer, poet , playwright and the pioneer of the Ukrainian literature Ivan Kotliarevsky. It was first published in 1798. On the surface it is an extremely hilarious parody of Virgil's Aeneid where the Troian heroes led by Aeneas look, sound and think like Zaporozhian Cossacks. They look for a new land after the destruction of Troy / Zaporozhian Host (a military proto state of Cossacks which was disbanded by Catherine the Great and the territory was incorporated into a Russian province).
They have a lot of adventures, face different hardships and fight a war until they reach their destination, their promised land. The author shows with pride the essence of the Ukrainian national character - the Trojans are brave, smart, witty, independent and hardworking (although they spend a lot of time feasting and drinking horilka).
In terms of the language the poem is unique - the characters speak the real language of the common Ukrainian people of the 18th century. The language is incredibly beautiful and rich; there are a lot of idioms, synonyms, poetical comparisons, jargon words which make the text very expressive. It was a very enjoyable read. Although I did not understand 100% of the text , I am glad I was able to read it in the original and enjoy its beauty.
2 袙褨薪, 褕胁懈写泻芯 锌芯褉芯斜懈胁褕懈 褔芯胁薪懈, 袧邪 褋懈薪褦 屑芯褉械 锌芯褋锌褍褋泻邪胁, 孝褉芯褟薪褑褨胁 薪邪褋邪卸邪胁褕懈 锌芯胁薪褨, 袉 泻褍写懈 芯褔褨 锌芯褔褍褏褉邪胁. 袧芯 蟹谢邪 挟薪芯薪邪, 褋褍褔邪 写芯褔泻邪, 袪芯蟹泻褍写泻褍写邪泻邪谢邪褋褜, 褟泻 泻胁芯褔泻邪, 鈥� 袝薪械褟 薪械 谢褞斜懈谢邪 鈥� 褋褌褉邪褏; 袛邪胁薪芯 褍卸械 胁芯薪邪 褏芯褌褨谢邪, 袡芯谐芯 褖芯斜 写褍褕泻邪 锌芯谢械褌褨谢邪 袣 褔芯褉褌邪屑 褨 褖芯斜 褨 写褍褏 薪械 锌邪褏. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Aeneas was a lively fellow, Lusty as any Cossack blade, In every kind of mischief mellow, The staunchest tramp to ply his trade. But when the Greeks, with all their trouble, Had burned down Troy and left it rubble, Taking a knapsack, off he wheels, Together with some reckless puffins鈥� Singed lads, who looked like ragamuffins鈥� And to old Troy he showed his heels.
He built in haste a tew big dories And launched them on the dark blue sea. Filled to the brim with Trojan tories, And sailed off blind and hastily. But wicked Juno, spiteful hussy, Came cackling like a pullet fussy: Dark hatred smouldered in her mind! For some time now her wish most evil Had been to send him to the devil Till not a smell was left behind
This was the first book written in contemporary Ukrainian that was used by humans and not an old crusty church slavonic and contemporary Ukrainian lit started with a banger and in rhyme! You thought Gogol鈥檚 Ukrainian stories were fun? Oh, please!
This is a comedic retelling of Virgil鈥檚 Aeneid done Ukrainian style: food (so much borsch and salo was eaten), clothes, music, traditions. Aeneas (Enei) and his friends leave the ruins of Troy (Zaporozhian Sich) after it was destroyed by Greeks (Catherine Potemkina) while Juno, Venus and Zeus (aka Saturnovych) keep meddling in their affairs.
We studied it in school, and I鈥檓 positive I had to learn parts of it by heart. But I definitely haven鈥檛 read the whole work back then and this is a naughty book filled to the brim with horilka and syvuha (moonshine?) and definitely was not written with children in mind.
I loved the humor and the language, I had to google a lot of words!
Support Ukraine 馃嚭馃嚘, read Ukrainian books! This is the first book written in Ukrainian vernacular (rather than Russian, Polish or Slavonic) at the end of the 18th century. It is a parody on Homer's Aeneid, filled with local Ukrainian references. Unfortunately, only a few pages are available in English translation. The Ukrainian version exists on archive.org, but Ukrainian is too different from Russian for me to go through it.