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Association of Oriental Studies of Ukraine

A research organization in the Ukrainian SSR that operated in the 1920s and early 1930s, coordinating Oriental studies, translations, and cultural ties with Eastern regions.

Overview

Founded in 1926 in Kharkiv, then the capital of Ukraine, the Association of Oriental Studies of Ukraine brought together scholars, translators, and literary critics who studied the cultures, languages, and history of the countries of Asia and the Caucasus, as well as the indigenous peoples of Ukraine (in particular, the Crimean Tatars). It consisted of several sections and played a leading role in shaping the Ukrainian school of Oriental studies of the Soviet period.

Key Details / Subtopics

  • Founding: The organization was founded in 1926 through the merger of individual scholarly and cultural sections of an Oriental-studies orientation.
  • Participation of Pavlo Tychyna: The prominent Ukrainian poet Pavlo Tychyna was one of the co-founders of the Association. He became a full member of the section for translation from Eastern languages. His work in the Association coincided with his personal interest in studying the Armenian, Turkish, and Crimean Tatar languages.
  • Activities: The Association coordinated the training of specialists, translation projects, the study of Eastern languages, and the publication of materials introducing Ukrainian audiences to the literatures of the East.
  • We Are Stars of One Sky — A document about the founding of the Association of Oriental Studies of Ukraine and P. Tychyna's participation in it.
  • Pavlo Tychyna — Poet, one of the founders of the Association of Oriental Studies.