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The Summing-up of Silence: The Poetry of Ihor Kalynets

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 January 2017

Danylo Husar Struk
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Because Ihor Kalynets’ is a contemporary poet, whose poetry was almost immediately censured, it is not at all surprising that no critical articles have been written about him in the Soviet Ukraine. The situation is not much better in the West. Apart from a few brief biographical sketches, only two short essays have appeared, and they are introductions to two collections of Kalynet”s poetry: one by Roman Semkovych, which introduces Vidchynennia vertepu,and the other by Larissa Onyshkevych, introducing Vohon kupala.Both of these are more concerned with the poetry found in the given collection, however, than with anoverall appraisal of the poet’s work. Nonetheless, the articles point to the folkloreinspired origins of Kalynets”s verse and refer to the poet’s predilection for steeping his poetry in the linguistic and mythic heritage of the Ukraine.

Type
Articles
Information
Slavic Review , Volume 38 , Issue 1 , March 1979 , pp. 17 - 29
Copyright
Copyright © Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies. 1979

References

1. Born in the city of Khodoriv in 1939, Kalynets’ moved to Lwów in 1956, where he completed his philological studies at Ivan Franko University in 1961. Until his arrest in 1972, he worked in the county archives. Kalynets’ was charged with anti-Soviet activity and sentenced to a concentration camp for seven years to be followed by three years of exile (see Ukrains'kyi visnyk, 7-8 [Spring 1974]: 126).

2. His first collection, Vohon’ kupala (The Fire of Kupalo) (Kiev: Molod', 1966), was immediately suppressed and all copies confiscated. With the exception of several poems published in various journals (Zmina, 1964, no. 1, and 1964, no. 12; Zhovten', 14, no. 4, p. 58; Dnipro, 38, no. 7, pp. 88-90; Ranok, 1965, no. 7, p. 2; and several others in the almanacs Den' poezii 1967 (Kiev: Radians'kyi pys'mennyk, 1967), pp. 78-79, and Poesiia, vol. 1 (Kiev, 1968), no other poems by Kalynets’ appeared officially in the Soviet Ukraine. He became one of the many prohibited writers whose sole channel of publishing was samvydav. Four more collections of poetry appeared in this fashion. They have been smuggled out, in whole or in part, to the West and republished there: Vohon’ kupala (Baltimore: Smoloskyp Publishers, 1975); Vidchynennia vertepu (The Opening of the Vertep) appeared as Poezii z Ukrainy (Belgium: Lettres et Art, 1970); Spohad pro svit (Recollections of the World), though never published as a whole collection, appeared in excerpts in the London journal Vyzvol'nyi shliakh, 26, no. 4-5 (April-May 1973): 407-23; 27, no. 1 (January 1974): 42-47; 27, no. 5 (May 1974): 653-56; Koronuvannia opudala (The Crowning of a Scarecrow) (New York: New York Group, 1972); Pidsumovuiuchy movchannia (The Summing-up of Silence) (Munich: Suchasnist', 1971). In the Suchasnist’ edition Pidsumovuiuchy movchannia is translated as “Reassessing Silence,” but I prefer the more literal translation of pidsumovuiuchy as “summing-up.” See also the German translation Bilanz des Schweigens (Darmstad: I. G. Blaschke Verlag, 1975). Since the actual chronology of the above collections depends not on when a collection was written but on when it got out to the West, I will adhere to the above order since it reflects a more logical thematic development. Furthermore, there is mention of a collection, Kraina koliadok (A Country of Carols), which apparently has preceded the first collection, but, except for a few poems attributed to it in the selection published in Dnipro, 38, no. 7 (July 1964): 88-90, the fate of that collection is unknown. It would be correct to assume that the poems meant for Kraina koliadok were later published in Vohon’ kupala and in Vidchynennia vertepu. This is precisely what happened with the twentytwo poems which appeared officially.

3. See Suchasnist', 1965, no. 3, p. 3; and ibid., 1971, no. 5, pp. 3-4; Bohdan, Kravtsiv, Shistdesiat poetiv shistdesiatykh rokiv (New York: Proloh, 1967, p. 158 Google Scholar; Koshelivets, I., Panorama nainovishoi literatury v URSR (Munich: Suchasnist, 1974), p. 118;Google Scholar Vyzvol'nyi shliakh, 27, no. 5 (May 1974): 653; Luckyj, George S. N., “Ukrainian Literature,” in Luckyj, George S. N., ed., Discordant Voices: The Non-Russian Soviet Literatures, 1953-1973 (Oakville, Ontario: Mosaic Press, 1975), p. 136.Google Scholar

4. The “seventies” is used here as a means of differentiating the shestydesiatnyky (poets of the sixties, for example, Symonenko, Drach, Kostenko, Vinhranovs'kyi, Korotych) from their younger contemporaries, such as Kalynets', Holoborod'ko, and Chubai. For introductions to the latter two poets, see Struk, Danylo Husar, “Hryhorii Chubai: Beyond All Expectations,” Canadian Slavonic Papers, 14, no. 2 (Summer 1972): 280–300 CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Dziuba, I, “U dyvosviti ridnoi khaty,” Dnipro, 39, no. 4 (April 1965): 145–52 Google Scholar; Chernenko, A, “The Birth of a New Spiritual Awareness,” Canadian Slavonic Papers, 16, no. 1 (Spring 1974): 73–99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

5. See B. Kravtsiv, Suchasnisf, 1965, no. 3, p. 3; R. Semkovych, “Cherhova nespodivanka” in Kalynets', Poezii z Ukrainy, p. xii; L. Onyshkevych, “Muzyka bat'kivshchyny mene bolyt',” in Kalynets', Vohon’ kupala, p. 6.

6. Although the collected works of Antonych were published in the Soviet Ukraine (Kiev, 1967), he is now proscribed and belongs to the list of authors who are not to be published, quoted, or even mentioned. For the KGB list of fifty such authors (including Kalynets’), see UkrainJkyi visnyk, 7-8 (Spring 1974): 123.

7. These poems are: “Kolyskova” (p. 35), “Sviato” (p. 36), “Tsvyntar” (p. 37), “Pid novyi rik” (p. 41), “Povernennia” (p. 42), “Mistechko” (p. 43), and “Peredmistia” (p. 44) (Kalynets', Vohon’ kupala).

8. “Rizdvo,” Kalynets', Poezii z Ukrainy, p. 13.

9. Kalynets', Poezii z Ukrainy, p. 1.

10. It is interesting to note that Antonych's collection Zelene Ievanheliie is also arranged in three scenes (hlavy, “chapters” ) and divided by two interludes (lirychni intermezzo).

11. In Vidchynennia vertepu, see such poems as “Kam'iani baby” (p. 9), “Halych” (p. 25), “Vid'ma” (p. 10), “Vechirnia” (p. 12), “Rizdvo” (p. 13), “Koliada” (p. 16), “Perun” (p. 22) (Kalynets', Poesii s Ukrainy). In Vohon’ kupala, see “Vohon’ kupala” (p. 39), “Kostrub” (p. 40), “Pid novyi rik” (p. 41), “Kylymy” (p. 20), “Pysanky” (p. 21), “Ikony” (p. 18), “Vitrazhi” (p. 19), “Ploshcha” (p. 12), “Smert’ Pidkovy” (p. 22), “Dramatychnyi final” (p. 24), “Smert’ Kozaka” (p. 23).

12. Kalynets', Poesii z Ukrainy, p. 14.

13. Ibid., p. 24.

14. Ibid., p. 23.

15. Ibid., p. 11.

16. Ibid.

17. Primarily of the painter O. Novakivs'kyi (1872-1935), but also of M. Sosenko (1875-1920), O. Kul'chyts'ka (1877-1967), and P. Obal’ (1900- ).

18. Kalynets', Vohon’ kupala, p. 29.

19. Ibid., p. 33.

20. Kalynets', Poezii s Ukrainy, p. 65.

21. Kalynets', Koronuvannia opudala, p. 15.

22. Ibid., p. 10.

23. Ibid., pp. 14-16, 17-18.

24. Ibid., p. 48.

25. Kalynets’ in Vyzvol'nyi shliakh, 27, no. 1 (January 1974): 42.

26. Ibid., pp. 43-44.

27. Ibid., p. 44.

28. Kalynets', Poezii s Ukrainy, p. 87.

29. It alludes to the famous folk song sung by the Sichovi Stril'tsi (The Sich Riflemen) during their campaign for the Ukraine's independence in World War I, “Hei U luzi chervona kalyna pokhylylasia” (Hey, in the Meadow the Red Guelder-Rose has Drooped). In the song, the tree symbolizes the Ukraine and the riflemen pledge themselves to “raise the drooping tree, cheer up the Ukraine, and free brother Ukrainians from Muscovite chains.” It is also significant that in today's Soviet Ukraine, the branch and berries of the guelder-rose are often worn at many public functions (such as the celebration of Shevchenko's birthday) by sympathizers of the Ukrainian cause.

30. Vasilii Liubchyk is responsible for the destruction of Ukrainian art works in the National Museum in Lwow. For details, see V. Moroz, “A Chronicle of Resistance,” in V., Moroz, Boomerang (Baltimore: Smoloskyp Publishers, 1974), pp. 91–124, esp. pp. 100-102.Google Scholar

31. Kalynets', Poezii z Ukrainy, p. 100.

32. For Moroz's views, see Moroz, Boomerang.

33. Luckyj, Discordant Voices, p. 136.

34. Ibid.

35. Kalynets1, Pidsumovuiuchy movchannia, p. 5.

36. For an English translation of this poem, see Moroz, Boomerang, pp. 261-64.

37. Kalynets', Pidsumovuiuchy movchannia, p. 60.

38. Moroz, Boomerang, p. 129.

39. Kalynets', Pidsumovuiuchy movchannia, p. 41.

40. Ibid., p. 6.

41. Ibid., p. 13.

42. Ibid., p. 21.

43. Ibid., pp. 35-38.

44. Ibid., pp. 61-68.

45. Ibid., p. 71.

46. Ibid., p. 74.

47. Ibid., pp. 83-84.

48. ’ Ibid., p. 90.

49. Ibid., p. 91.

50. Suchasnist', 1976, no. 4, pp. 111-12.

51. Novyi shliakh, September 18, 1976.

52. Svoboda, October 30, 1976; Suchasnisf, 1976, no. 12.