Viktor Petrov

Viktor Platonovych Petrov (, pen names V. Domontovych , Viktor Ber ; 10 October 1894 – 8 June 1969) was a prominent Ukrainian existentialist writer. Together with Valerian Pidmohylny, Petrov is considered to be the founder of the Ukrainian intellectual novel. Although Petrov is remembered as a writer today, during his life he was a scientist in the first place. He wrote papers on archaeology, anthropology, history, philosophy and literature. Despite having been implicated in co-operation with Soviet secret police later in his life, Petrov is simultaneously known as author of some of the most acute critical texts revealing the nature of the Soviet regime.

Biography Early life Viktor Petrov was born on 10 October 1894 in Yekaterinoslav (today's Dnipro) into the family of Platon Petrov, an Eastern Orthodox theologian, who served as bishop of Uman and vicar of Kyiv, although in Soviet times the writer would claim that his father had been a simple teacher. In 1913 Petrov entered the Faculty of History and Philology at Saint Volodymyr University. After his graduation in 1918 he changed multiple jobs, working as a teacher in order to survive the hardships of civil war which engulfed the city. During the postwar famine in Ukraine he worked in a number of village schools, receiving "natural payment" in form of food, which was scarce in cities at the time.

During his stay in Baryshivka not far from Kyiv, Petrov became close to fellow authors working there, including Mykola Zerov and Yuriy Klen. ) (1928–1929, published in 1947) Alina and Kostomarov (1929) Kulish's romances (1930) Doctor Seraficus (English translation of excerpt), translated by Yuri Tkacz, in Before the Storm, Ardis Publishers USA

Scientific publications Origin of the Ukrainian Nation Scythians — language and ethnicity Ethnogenesis of Slavs [ Development of Ukrainian People] Ukrainian cultural activists - victims of repressions