Vishenskii, Ivan

Vishenskii, Ivan 

Date of birth unknown. Born in the hamlet of Sudovaia Vishnia, now in Lvov Oblast; died in the 1620’s, in Athos. Ukrainian writer and polemist.

In the 1570’s, Vishenskii went to Athos, where he became a monk and began his literary activity. He took a strong stand against the religious claims of the Vatican, against Catholicism, and against the 1596 Union of Brest. He defended the interests of the working people and affirmed the equality of all people. His positive ideal was asceticism. In his lifetime he published only one epistle in the so-called Ostrog Book (1598). On the model of this book, Vishenskii composed his own Book, which contained ten of his works from the late 16th century. The remaining six works were written between 1600 and 1616 and were all published in the 19th century. Vishenskii was a master of the oratorical and accusatory style.

WORKS

Tvory. [Introductory article, preparation of texts, and annotations by I. P. ler’omin.] Kiev, 1959.
Sochineniia. Preparation of text, articles, and comments by I. P. Eremin. Moscow-Leningrad, 1955.

REFERENCES

Istoriia ukrains’koi literatury u vos’my tomakh, vol. 1. Kiev, 1967.
Franko, I. Ivan Vyshens’kyi i eho tvory. Lvov, 1895.
Franko, I. “Ivan Vishenskii, ego vremia i literaturnaia deiatel’nost’.” Soch., vol. 9. Moscow, 1959.
Pinchuk, S. P. Ivan Vyshens’kyi: Literaturnyi portret. Kiev, 1959.
Pinchuk, S. P. Ivan Vyshens’kyi: Zhyttia i tv ore hist’. Kiev, 1958. (Bibliography, pp. 147-49.)
Makhnovets’, L. Satyra i humor ukrains’koi prozy XVI-XVIII st. Kiev, 1964.
Ukrains’ki pys’mennyky: Bio-bibliografichnyi slovnik, vol. 1. Kiev, 1960.

L. E. MAKHNOVETS