Background
Dmytro Pavlychko was born on September 28, 1929 in a lumber worker family living in the village of Stopchatove near the Carpathian Mountains.
anthropologist Diplomat journalist university professor writer poet
Dmytro Pavlychko was born on September 28, 1929 in a lumber worker family living in the village of Stopchatove near the Carpathian Mountains.
In 1953 Pavlychko graduated from Lviv University (Department of Philology), worked in "Zhovten" (now, "Dzvin") Magazine.
Today this place is near town of Yabluniv in Kosiv Raion, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast. In 1945–1946 years he spent about 12 month in Soviet prison for alleged accusations of participation in Universal Postal Union activities. There he celebrated his 16th birthday.
Coming later to Kyiv he worked in the office of the Writer"s Union of Ukraine and in 1971–1978 as an editor at "Vsesvit" ("Universe") Magazine.
In his poetry works of Soviet period, first of which ("Love and hatred") was published in 1953, Pavlychko presented himself as publicist and civil activist, though constrained by that time censorship and compromising with existing rules. Besides writing own verses, he translated into Ukrainian language the poems of Shakespeare, José Martí, Nicola Vapcarov et cetera
Many of Pavlychko poems were used for songs, most popular and famous of which is "Dva Kolyory" ("Two colours"). In late 80-s Dmytro Pavlychko was one of the founders of People"s Movement of Ukraine, participated in the renewal of "Prosvita" Society as well as taking an active part in elaboration of the Acting on Independence of Ukraine which was approved on August 24, 1991.
In 90-s Pavlychko was the Ambassador of Ukraine to Poland and Slovakia.