Dear friends!

Today marks 120 years since the birth of the famous Ukrainian poet Eugene Malaniuk.

He was born in the Novoarkhangelsk village of Kherson province in the family that came from the old Cossack clan. Eugen’s father, Philemon Vasiliyovich, was a teacher, and later - attorney in the court. And he was an artistic soul - he sang in the church choir and was a director of the theater performances. Eugene often said that he was grateful to his father for his ideological development, but for his heart and art he thanked his mother.

Eugene Malanyuk was an apt pupil, for outstanding achievements in teaching he was free from fees in Elisavetgrad Zemsky real school, and later he received a grant. The boy read a lot, he was interested in a variety of classical pieces - German, French, Russian. Particularly Eugene was impressed by the book of Marquis Marquis de Custine "Russia in 1839," where the author criticized the Russian mentality, and reveals the phenomenon of "Russian expansionism."

Then there was the First World War. Eugene became a student of the Kiev’s military school. When he graduated, he served as a praporshik and later was promoted to lieutenant. 1917 had changed all Eugene’s Malaniuk ideas. He realized it was time to create an independent Ukraine, participated in the creation of UNR, and later became the captain of the Ukrainian Army, served in the Operational Division of the General Staff, was the adjutant of commander of the Army of the UNR Vasyl Tyutyunnik. During the retreat of troops for Zbruch, Malanyuk was interned. It was in the Polish camp where a talent of poet-patriot had revealed that we appreciate today. Instead of the sentimental young man, the reader saw the "poet volitional impulse." The hard lines escaped from him, because he could not understand the UNR defeat – the defeat of his main dream for the independence of the motherland.

The first collections of poetry of Eugene Malaniuk saw the world when he was already in exile. But " the spool and stylus" and the books which appeared later had changed the world of literature. With his creative works, he tried to join a nation - the appearance of those Ukrainians who fight for what they want. One of these works - "the message" where Malanyuk speaks about a "brave sons of the nation." In the political headquarters of the Ukrainian USSR "the message" caused rage. Eugene Malaniuk was accused in the "Ukrainian fascism." But the poet wasn’t scared.

The only thing what Malanyuk desired the most - to return home. But it wasn’t destined. He had to wander for the whole life as an immigrant. He worked hard, but did not forget to write. Eugene died in America, where he get after the Second World War. The cemetery where he is buried, American Ukrainians called "our Pantheon."

Friends! Eugene Malanyuk was a man whose views as for the motherland were the most realistic. Real. He loved it and condemned for having made itself spoiled. Even then he understood what our nation must refuse to exist. "Small Russianism (Malorosiystvo) - wrote Malanyuk - this is the problem that will appear on the first place infront of the public men of the State Ukraine." To extirpate it - that's the task that still stands before us.