Iurii Ianovskii

Born Aug. 14 (27), 1902, on the khutor (farmstead) of Maerovo, now Nechaevka in Kompanevka Raion, Kirovograd Oblast; died Feb. 25, 1954, in Kiev. Soviet Ukrainian writer.

Ianovskii’s early collections of short stories and poetry were written in a romantic vein. The main characteristics of his style—the use of a solemn but emotional tone and a tendency to a songlike and rhythmic organization of language—were established in his novels The Ship Builder (1928) and The Four Sabers(1930). His most famous novel is The Horsemen (1935), a heroic romantic epic about the revolutionary will and courage of the Communists and the feats of the people during the Civil War.

Ianovskii also wrote plays, such as the tragedy Poem About Britanka (1937); the book Letters From Nuremberg (1946), which consists of reportage; and the collection Kievan Stories (1948; State Prize of the USSR, 1949). Ianovskii’s romantic style had a considerable influence on Soviet Ukrainian prose, particularly the works of O. Gonchar. His books have been translated into other languages of the USSR and into foreign languages.

Ianovskii was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor.