«I have to write – my life depends on it»: Sofia Yablonska’s correspondence with Olena Kysilevska (1934–1939)

Abstract

The article examines a series of letters by the writer and journalist Sofia Yablonska sent from China, France, and the Galician region in 1934–1939 to Olena Kysilevska, a social, political, and cultural activist, writer, editor of the magazines «Zhinocha Dolia» and «Zhinocha Volia», and journalist. This corpus of little-known sources helped us to better understand and clarify the characteristics of epistolary communication between two outstanding creative personalities.
The tone of these letters varied depending on the topics covered, ranging from business talks about issues related to Sofia Yablonska’s publications, particularly in the Kolomyia-based «Zhinocha Dolia» (Women’s Fate), to heartfelt accounts of the writer’s personal life and her contemplations on life principles and their meaning. Because of established historical conditions, this corpus of letters is currently kept in the National Library in Warsaw, Republic of Poland.
It is noted that a great deal of information is contained in the letters that helps one understand Sofia Yablonska’s passion for traveling and her journalistic career, as well as the peculiarities of her perception and creative reproduction of reality, her response to events both that happened to her in the country where she lived at the time and that took place in the country she dreamed to visit, as well as other important circumstances of her eventful life.
The primary topics and issues addressed by Sofia Yablonska are noted, together with details about her unique personality qualities, unusual methods of text creation, writing style, and attitude toward criticism of her published works. The journalistic materials (letters, author’s columns, trip essays, etc.) by Sofia Yablonska are categorized according to their genres. It was also confirmed that Sofia Yablonska actively wanted to engage in the cultural life of the region’s Ukrainian community.