Jurij Lawrynenko Papers, 1880s-1980s

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Collection context

Creator:
Lawrynenko, Jurij
Abstract:
The materials in this collection document personal and professional life of Jurij Lawrynenko (1905-1987), prominent literature figure Ukrainian emigration, as well as the formation and development of the literary, cultural, and social life of the Ukrainian diaspora in Germany and the United States. They are extremely valuable resources for research on Ukrainian literature, journalism, publishing, and political movements, and on the history of Ukrainian emigration in the 20th century.
Extent:
48 linear feet (66 manuscript boxes, 17 boxes for audio materials, 6 card file boxes, 1 flat box)
Language:
English , Ukrainian , Russian .
Scope and content:

The bulk of the collection consists of Jurij Lawrynenko's professional and personal correspondence, manuscripts, research notes, and printed materials. There are also photographs, documents, diaries, notebooks, memoirs, and audio materials. Collection contains extensive files, including documents and editorial materials, from the major Ukrainian publications in Germany and the United States (Ukrains'ka Literaturna Hazeta, Literaturno-Naukovyi Zbirnyk, et al.), and from Ukrainian writers' organization "Slovo." The collection includes some unpublished and unknown original manuscripts by Lawrynenko and other prominent Ukrainian authors. Original manuscripts could be found in the following series: Series I: Correspondence; Series V: Writings; Series VII: Subject Files.

A large part of the collection consists of printed materials, including books and brochures, rare serial publications and periodicals from Ukraine and from the Ukrainian diaspora in Germany, the United States, and Canada. There are many clippings with Lawrynenko's margin notes and comments that make them a valuable resource for the study of Lawrynenko's professional activities. Printed materials are not separated from the rest of the collection, remaining in the various series where they logically belong.

For preservation purposes, fragile and deteriorating newspapers and clippings were photocopied on acid-free paper; the photocopies remain in the collection while the originals were sent to the Instytut Literatury in Kyiv, Ukraine. Issues of the newspaper Vpered were microfilmed (microfilm #2007-1010), and the originals transferred to the Shevchenko Scientific Society in New York.

Biographical / historical:

Jurij Adrijanovych Lawrynenko (Dyvnych) born on May 3, 1905, Khyzhyntsi Zvenyhorod district, Kyiv county, was an author, editor, literary theorist and critic, historian, political and social journalist, and prominent figure in the Ukrainian community in the United States.

Jurij Lawrynenko graduated from Kharkiv University, where he studied in the Department of Literature and Linguistics from 1926 to 1930. In 1932, he completed his post-graduate education in the Kharkiv Institute on the History of Literature, part of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences. From 1926 to 1930, he also worked as a manager of the art and proofreading department at the "Visti VUTsVK" newspaper.

Jurij Lawrynenko was arrested twice by the Soviet regime for political offenses and became a prisoner in Stalin's Gulag system. He was sentenced to five years in a concentration camp followed by three years of exile. He served his term in Norillag (Taymyr) and in the North Caucasus until 1942. In 1943 he ended up in Austria as a forced-laborer. He was liberated by the French army in 1945 and lived in Mittenwald DP (displaced person) camp.

In April 1950, Lawrynenko settled in the United States. He became a key figure in the cultural, literary, political, and social life of the Ukrainian community. He was a fellow of UVAN (the Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences in the United States of America). He was a member of DOBRUS (the Democratic Union of Ukrainians Formerly Persecuted by the Soviet Government) and of MUR (the Ukrainian Art Movement). He was a co-founder and active member of Slovo, organization of Ukrainian writers in exile. He was editor of the Ukrains'ki Visti and, from 1959 to [1966?], of the Ukrainian broadcasts of Radio Liberty.

Jurij Lawrynenko died in New York on December 14, 1987.

The bibliography of the works of Jurij Lawrynenko contains over three hundred titles, including articles, essays, memoirs, and monographs on history, politics, literature, and philosophy. Ukrainian scholar Tetiana Shestopalova describes Lawrynenko as "a figure outstanding, brilliant, and productive in the creative life of two continents, whose life doesn't fit any simple pattern of the artist adapting himself to alien soil."

Access and use

Restrictions:

Boxes 73-85 of this collection are located off-site. You will need to request this material at least three business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.

This collection has no restrictions.

Terms of access:

Reproductions may be made for research purposes. The RBML maintains ownership of the physical material only. Copyright remains with the creator and his heirs. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.

Preferred citation:

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Jurij Lawrynenko Papers, Box and Folder; Bakhmeteff Archive, Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.

Location of this collection:
6th Floor East Butler Library
535 West 114th Street
New York, NY 10027, USA
Before you visit:
Researchers interested in viewing materials in the RBML reading room must must book an appointment at least 7 days in advance. To make the most of your visit, be sure to request your desired materials before booking your appointment, as researchers are limited to 5 items per day.
Contact:
rbml@library.columbia.edu