Yuriy Tymonovych Lytvyn ( uk, Юрій Тимонович Литвин) was a Ukrainian lyrical and prose writer, journalist,

human rights activist A human rights defender or human rights activist is a person who, individually or with others, acts to promote or protect human rights. They can be journalists, environmentalists, whistleblowers, trade unionists, lawyers, teachers, housing cam ...

, and

Soviet dissident Soviet dissidents were people who disagreed with certain features of Soviet ideology or with its entirety and who were willing to speak out against them. The term ''dissident'' was used in the Soviet Union in the period from the mid-1960s until ...

Biography

Lytvyn was born in a village of Ksaverivka, Vasylkiv Raion on 26 November 1934 in a family of rural teachers. His dad a veteran of the

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, after the Nazi Germany's occupation of Ukraine, served in the

Soviet partisan Soviet partisans were members of resistance movements that fought a guerrilla war against Axis forces during World War II in the Soviet Union, the previously Soviet-occupied territories of interwar Poland in 1941–45 and eastern Finland. The ...

detachments of

Sydir Kovpak Sydir Artemovych Kovpak ( uk, Сидір Артемович Ковпак; russian: Си́дор Арте́мьевич Ковпа́к, ), (June 7, 1887December 11, 1967) was one of the partisan leaders of the Soviet partisans in Ukraine during t ...

and died from wounds in 1944. Later Lytvyn with his mother moved to village Barakhty, Vasylkiv Raion. After finishing a seven-year school, he enrolled in mining-industrial school in

Shakhty Shakhty ( rus, Шахты, p=ˈʂaxtɨ) is a city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, located on the southeastern spur of the Donetsk mountain ridge, northeast of Rostov-on-Don. As of the 2010 Census, its population was 239,987. It was previously kn ...

(now in Rostov Oblast), but after getting sick he left the school and returned on his village. In 1953 Lytvyn was imprisoned at the construction of

Zhiguli Hydroelectric Station The Zhiguli Hydroelectric Station or Zhigulyovskaya Hydroelectric Station (russian: Жигулёвская ГЭС, Zhigulyovskaya GES++), formerly known as Kuybyshev Hydroelectric Station (Kuybyshev GES) is a large dam and hydroelectric station ...

(at that time Kuibyshev Hydroelectric Station) after being accused of theft. Soon after being released in 1955 he was arrested again on 14 April 1956 being accused in created of underground nationalistic organization "Group for Liberation of Ukraine" and convicted to 10 years imprisonment. His punishment Lytvyn served in camps of

Medyn Medyn (russian: Меды́нь) is a town and the administrative center of Medynsky District in Kaluga Oblast, Russia, located on the Medynka River ( Oka basin), northwest of Kaluga, the administrative center of the oblast. Population: Histo ...

(

Kaluga Oblast Kaluga Oblast (russian: Калу́жская о́бласть, translit=Kaluzhskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Kaluga. The 2021 Russian Census found a population of 1,069,904. G ...

) and Vikhorevka (part of Ozerlag) as well as the so-called "Mordva camps for politicals" (

Dubravlag The Dubravny Camp, Special Camp No.3 (), commonly known as the Dubravlag (russian: Дубравлаг), was a Gulag labor camp of the Soviet Union located in Yavas, Mordovia from 1948 to 2005. The Dubravlag was founded as one of several Gulag s ...

). While being imprisoned Lytvyn wrote poems in Ukrainian and Russian languages and in 1965 finished his collection "Tragic gallery" (russian: «Трагическая галерея») (a story about crimes of totalitarian system against Ukrainian people). Shortly all poems were taken away from him during a search. After being released in June 1965 Lytvyn was forced to move to

Krasnoyarsk Krasnoyarsk ( ; rus, Красноя́рск, a=Ru-Красноярск2.ogg, p=krəsnɐˈjarsk) (in semantic translation - Red Ravine City) is the largest city and administrative center of Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia. It is situated along the Yeni ...

due to prosecution. On 14 November 1974 he was arrested again and convicted by article 187-1 of the Criminal Code of the Ukrainian SSR (Slanderous fabrications that discredit the Soviet state and social system). In November 1977, Lytvyn, after just being freed from prison, became a member of the

Ukrainian Helsinki Group The Ukrainian Helsinki Group ( uk, Українська Гельсінська Група) was founded on November 9, 1976, as the "Ukrainian Public Group to Promote the Implementation of the Helsinki Accords on Human Rights" ( uk, Українс ...

to facilitate the implementation of

Helsinki Accords The Helsinki Final Act, also known as Helsinki Accords or Helsinki Declaration was the document signed at the closing meeting of the third phase of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) held in Helsinki, Finland, between ...

and continued his struggle against the totalitarian regime in Ukraine. In April 1979 he finished his article "Human rights movement in Ukraine. Its principles and perspectives" ( uk, «Правозахисний рух в Україні. Його засади і перспективи»), in which he created the political program of Ukrainian human rights movement. On 5 July 1979 while being seriously ill, Lytvyn was arrested again and accused in conducting "anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda". He was convicted by a court in

Vasylkiv Vasylkiv (, uk, Васильків, lit=, translit=Vasylʹkiv, yi, וואַסלקעוו, Vasilikev) is a city located on the Stuhna River in Obukhiv Raion, Kyiv Oblast (province) in central Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Vasylkiv urb ...

to 10 years imprisonment and 5 years of exile. From May 1982 he was serving his sentence in camps of strict regime (

Perm Oblast Until 1 December 2005, Perm Oblast (russian: Пе́рмская о́бласть) was a federal subject of Russia (an oblast) in Privolzhsky (Volga) Federal District. According to the results of the referendum held in October 2004, Perm Oblast was ...

, villages Kuchino, Polovinka, Vsesviatskoe) where was the majority of participants of Ukrainian human rights movement. The later influential (in

Ukrainian politics The politics of Ukraine take place in a framework of a semi-presidential republic and of a multi-party system. A Cabinet of Ministers exercises executive power (jointly with the president until 1996). Legislative power is vested in Ukraine's pa ...

)

Viktor Medvedchuk Viktor Volodymyrovych Medvedchuk ( uk, Віктор Володимирович Медведчук, ; born 7 August 1954) is a Ukrainian lawyer, business oligarch, and politician who is since September 2022 living in exile after being handed over ...

defended Stus during this trial. Lytvyn described the work of Medvedchuk as a lawyer on 17 December 1979: “The passivity of my lawyer Medvedchuk in defense is not due to his professional profanity, but to the instructions he received from above and his subordination: he does not dare to reveal the mechanism implemented provocations against me." According to official court papers Medvedchuk had referred to the incompleteness of the investigation in the case and had asked to cancel the court's verdict and send the case for a new trial. On 24 August 1984 Yuriy Lytvyn was found in his cell with his stomach cut open. On 21 August the camp docter refused to treat him. On 5 September 1984 he died in a hospital of the city of

Chusovoy Chusovoy (russian: Чусово́й) is a town in Perm Krai, Russia, located at the confluence of the Usva and Vilva Rivers with the Chusovaya River, east of Perm, the administrative center of the krai. Population: History It was founded i ...

, Perm Oblast.Medvedchuk's role: Yuriy Lytvyn and Vasyl Stus had one lawyer and died in the same camp

Ukrayinska Pravda ''Ukrainska Pravda'' ( uk, Українська правда, lit=Ukrainian Truth) is a Ukrainian online newspaper founded by Georgiy Gongadze on 16 April 2000 (the day of the Ukrainian constitutional referendum). Published mainly in Ukrai ...

(9 July 2020) In November 1989 remnants of Yuriy Lytvyn,

Vasyl Stus Vasyl Semenovych Stus ( uk, Васи́ль Семе́нович Стус; 6 January 1938, Rakhnivka, Ukrainian SSR – 4 September 1985, Perm-36, Kuchino, Russian SFSR) was a Ukrainian poet, translator, literary critic, journalist, and an active ...

, and Oleksiy Tykhyi was transported to Kyiv and buried with honors at

Baikove Cemetery Baikove Cemetery ( uk, Байкове кладовище) is a historic cemetery memorial in Holosiiv Raion of Kyiv, Ukraine. It is a National Historic Landmark of Ukraine and is known as a necropolis of distinguished people. It was established i ...

(lot #33).

References

External links

Lytvyn, Yurii
Internet Encyclopedia of Ukraine * Bazhan, O.
Yuriy Lytvyn
'. Encyclopedia of History of Ukraine. Vol.10.

Institute of History of Ukraine Institute of History of Ukraine is a research institute in Ukraine that is part of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine department of history, philosophy and law and studies a wide spectrum of problems in history of Ukraine. The institute ...

. "

Naukova dumka Naukova Dumka ( uk, Наукова Думка — literally "scientific thought") is a publishing house in Kyiv, Ukraine. It was established by the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in 1922, largely owing to the efforts of Ahatanhel Krymsky ...

". Kiev, 2009. * Ovsiyenko, V.
Yuriy Lytvyn
'. Encyclopedia of Modern Ukraine.

Oleksa Tykhyi Fund website. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lytvyn, Yuriy 1934 births 1984 deaths People from Kyiv Oblast Soviet dissidents Ukrainian human rights activists Soviet human rights activists Prisoners and detainees of the Soviet Union Ukrainian people who died in Soviet detention Ukrainian Helsinki Group Burials at Baikove Cemetery