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[UKRAINIAN] Karikatury z literatury [i.e. Caricatures from Literature]

Kurpita, T.

Item #2487

Munich: Skomorokh, 1947. 64 p. 20×15 cm. Original illustrated wrappers. Owner’s signature on the title page ‘Ivan Onatzky’. Spine is slightly shipped from the bottom. Otherwise in good condition for a camp publication.

First edition.
After the liberation of Germany, these refugees found them selvesamong two million Ukrainian sin the western zones of occupation. Approximately 90 percent of them returned to their homeland, with many doing so voluntarily, driven by homesickness and the desire to reunite with their families. Others were compelled to return by the Western powers in accordance with the Yalta Agreement. Among the 200,000 Ukrainian Displaced Persons (DPs) who stayed in the western zones of Germany beyond 1945, 30 to 40 percent were refugees who had left their homeland out of fear of Soviet rule. The remaining individuals were former slave laborers who had been brought to Germany by the Germans. These camps, organized by the national principle, were very important in nation-building and the affirmation of the national identity by the people who have lived there. After 1946 majority of the population of these camps immigrated to North America. In the short period the publishing and literary life of the camps was vibrant. This book, published in sh gives us an interesting opportunity to look into the literary life of the Ukrainian community abroad at the time.

Author of the publication, Theodor Kurpita (1913- 1974) was the Ukrainian satirical writer, who has used many pen names during his lifetime (this time–Teok). Once a Soviet Ukrainain author, since 1944 he has immigrated to Germany for the fear of Soviet occupation of Ukraine. Having become the editor-in-chief of the literary and scientific magazine “Native Word”, humorous organs. “Hedgehog” and “Komar”. In 1949, he moved to the USA, settled in Chicago, earning money by manual labor, engaged in journalism. Since 1961, he was the editor-in-chief of the weekly “Ukrainian Life”. In this book Kurpita has tried to create the satirical sketches on his fellow colleagues, moking their style of writing and humorously commenting on their achievements. The full list of writers includes Oles Babii, Ivan Bagryany, Vasyl Barka, Sviatoslav Gordynskyi, Viktor Domontovych, Rostislav Yendyk, Ivan Kernytskyi, Yury Klen, Yuriy Kosach, Bohdan Kravtsiv, Ihor Kostetskyi, Vasyl Sofroniv-Levytskyi, Oksana Lyaturynska, Evgeny Malaniuk, Ivan Manila Leonid Mosendz, Bohdan Nyzhankivskyi, Mykhailo Orest, Theodosius Osmachka, Leonid Poltava, Ulas Samchuk, Yar Slavutych, Mykola Stepanenko, Aleksa Stefanovych, Vasyl Chaplenko and Volodymyr Shayan. Profile on ever writer includes a caricature, a humorous biography and made-up quotes that the author found funny. Some jokes are reflecting of the social and political reality that these people experienced at the time. For example, when asked about the ‘Dictatorship of the proletariat’ (Soviet doctrine), one of the participants replied: ‘I recognize only the Dictatorship of mediocracy in my own writing’.

All in all, a great document, that is showing how the laughter and satire helped the community to get through uneasy years following WWII and forced immigration.

Worldcat shows copies in US at Cleveland Public Library, Harvard, University of Illinois, Library of Congress, Yale University Library, NYPL.

Price: $650.00