Volodymyr Sosiura

Volodymyr Mykolaiovych Sosiura (; 6 January 1898 – 8 January 1965) was a Ukrainian poet, translator, journalist, war correspondent and a veteran of Ukrainian–Soviet War.

Early life

Volodymyr Sosiura was born on 6 January 1898 in a settlement within Debaltseve railway station (today the city of Debaltseve). His father, Mykola Volodymyrovych, worked in a variety of jobs and was of French heritage. Mykola's family was from the De Saussure lineage in Provence, until Volodymyr's grandfather, who was a soldier in Napoleon's army, ended up in the Russian Empire and the family's last name was changed to "Sosiura" by local scribes. during the winter of 1918 to the autumn of 1919. While stationed in Bakhmut, he also wrote his first Ukrainian poems in the youth magazine Vilni Dumky (Free Thoughts), entitled "Is It Not Time..." and "Evening". However, most of his frontline work with the UNR has not survived, such as his known connection Songs of Blood which was published in Proskuriv (now Khmelnytskyi). In autumn 1919, he was taken prisoner by Denikin's Volunteer Army. He was sentenced to death by shooting, but he survived because the wound turned out to be non-fatal and managed to escape. By late 1919, he started retreating with the UPR westward towards Podolia, and was stationed in the temporary capital of the UPR, Kamianets-Podilskyi. He was assigned to guard duty at the Osavulova mansion, which was the residence of the Main Directorate of the UPR and Petliura.

During World War II, he participated in writer's agitation groups, and published war poems such as Lst do zemliakiv ("Letter to Compatriots"), which was distributed as a leaflet across Ukraine.

Legacy

His portrait and title of his poem, Love Ukraine, are featured on a two Hryvnia collectible coin.

Ukrainian composer Yudif Rozhavskaya used Sosiura's text for her songs.