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Pavlo Tychyna

A prominent Ukrainian poet, translator, public and statesman, and academician. One of the founders of the Association of Oriental Studies of Ukraine (1926) and an active researcher of Crimean Tatar culture and literature.

Overview

Pavlo Tychyna's interest in Crimean Tatar culture and language was born under the influence of Mykhailo Kotsiubynsky, who enthusiastically told him about the nature, everyday life, and customs of Crimea. In the mid-1920s, after moving to Kharkiv, Tychyna began active Oriental studies, in particular starting to learn Turkish and Armenian. The knowledge he acquired helped him read the works of Crimean Tatar authors on his own, as their language is close to Turkish.

In 1925 the poet first visited Crimea (Alushta), where he immediately began buying Crimean Tatar books and taking an interest in the life of the indigenous people. Later he personally got to know many Crimean Tatar cultural figures, promoted the publication of their works in the Ukrainian press of the time, and became one of the co-founders of the Association of Oriental Studies of Ukraine.

Key Details / Subtopics

  • Oriental studies and translations: In 1926 Pavlo Tychyna became one of the founders of the Association of Oriental Studies of Ukraine (through the merger of various Oriental studies sections) and joined its section for translation from Eastern languages. The study of Eastern languages (in particular Turkish) allowed him to gain a deeper understanding of the literature of the Near East and Crimea.
  • Friendship with Abdullah Lyatif-zade: Tychyna maintained close creative contacts with the Crimean Tatar poet Abdullah Lyatif-zade. He suggested that Lyatif-zade write a survey article on Crimean Tatar literature for the journal "Chervonyi Shliakh" (Red Path). In 1928 Lyatif-zade presented Tychyna with a copy of the collection "New Saz" (New Saz) with a dedicatory inscription.
  • Admiration for the film "Alim": The poet highly praised the screenplay by Crimean Tatar writer Umer Ipchi for the film "Alim", on which Tychyna's close friend Mykola Bazhan also worked.
  • Philosophy of cultural dialogue: At a meeting with Crimean Tatar poets, Pavlo Tychyna formulated his vision of the relations between peoples and cultures with the phrase: "Let us live like the stars. For we are the stars of one sky."
  • Friendship with Oleksiy Shovkunenko and an art collection: From 1935 Pavlo Tychyna maintained close friendly and creative relations with the artist Oleksiy Shovkunenko. Their families were friends and they often rested together. Shovkunenko created two portraits of the poet (in 1941 and 1966) and often gifted him his paintings. A significant part of the artist's painted legacy is currently preserved in the Literary and Memorial Museum-Apartment of P.H. Tychyna in Kyiv, including the watercolours "Crimean Landscape" and "Sea near the Coast of Crimea" (both from 1949), which are exhibited in the poet's bedroom and thematically resonate with his poems of the "Crimean Cycle" of 1926 (such as "Ai-Petri" and "Beach" (Plyazh)).