Mykhailo Starytskyi

Mykhailo Petrovych Starytsky (, ; – ) was a Ukrainian writer, poet, and playwright, known as one of the founders of Ukrainian professional theatre.

Personal life

In autumn 1862 Starytsky, an avid hunter, went duck hunting near his residence in the region of Poltava, and fell ill with pneumonia. During his illness he was cared for by his aunt and her daughter . After recuperating, Mykola asked for permission to marry his cousin, who was at the time only 14 years old. The marriage was allowed only after a special permission from an archimandrite, which was granted after Sofia's birth certificate had been forged by giving her age as 16. Despite this fact, the young couple became a happy and harmonious family: Starytska shared Mykhailo's interest for theatre and literature and made friends in his social circle.

Chasing two Hares (1883)

Starytskyi is widely known for his 1883 comical play "Chasing two hares" , which was created on the base of an 1875 comedy by Ivan Nechuy-Levytsky. A film adaptation of the play by Dovzhenko Film Studios premiered in 1961, becoming one of the most popular Ukrainian movies of the Soviet era. A monument to its heroes has been installed near Andriivskyi Descent in Kyiv, where main elements of the plot take place.

Bohdan Khmelnytsky (1897) In 1887 Starytsky presented the first version of his drama about Bohdan Khmelnytsky, but it was immediately banned by censorship. In order to receive a permission to stage his work, in 1891 he translated it into Russian at the advice of Olena Pchilka, but the text failed to reach the censorship committee. In 1893 Starytsky attempted to contact notable actor Aleksandr Fedotov in order to promote the play in Saint Petersburg, but to no avail. In 1895 the work was once again banned from being staged. Christmas Eve (Різдвяна ніч) – as librettist Poems: Songs and Dumas (З давнього зшитку. Пісні і думи, 1881–1883) Calling (Виклик), better known as What a Moonlit Night (Ніч яка, Господи, місячна, зоряна..., 1870) Translations: Andersen's Tales (1873) Hamlet (1882) Other publications: Serbian folk songs (1876)