Valentyn Rechmedin

Infobox Writer
name = Valentyn Ostapovych Rechmedin
Валентин Остапович Речмедін


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birthdate = February 12 1916
birthplace = Andrushivka, Russian Empire (now Ukraine)
deathdate = June 6 1986
deathplace = Kyiv, Soviet Union (now Ukraine)
occupation = Journalist and writer
nationality = Ukrainian
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Valentyn Ostapovych Rechmedin ( _uk. Валентин Остапович Речмедін), February 12 1916 – June 6 1986 was a Ukrainian journalist and writer.

He grew up in the village of Andrushivka in present Pohrebyschenskyi Raion, Vinnytsia Oblast (province), where his father was a teacher. [Rechmedin, А. P.: "Sivach krasy i dobra. Rodovid, zhytcha, tvortyist pysmennyka Valentyna Rechmedina", p.152–156. Kniha-Veha, Vinnytsia 2004. ISBN 966-261-169-6.]

After studies at Uman Cooperative Technicum (Уманський кооперативний технікум) he started his career as a journalist in 1934 at "Molodyi Bilshovyk" (Молодий Бiльшовик) in Vinnytsia. In 1939 he started to work at "Vilna Ukraïna" (Вільна Україна) and later at "Leninska Molod" (Ленінска Молодь) in Lviv. [Rechmedin, А. P.: "Sivach krasy i dobra. Rodovid, zhytcha, tvortyist pysmennyka Valentyna Rechmedina", p.156–159. Kniha-Veha, Vinnytsia 2004. ISBN 966-261-169-6.]

Valentyn remained in Ukraine also after the German invasion of the Soviet Union in the summer of 1941. Later he became active in the Soviet partisan movement in the Vinnytsia area. In his partisan group he edited its "Partyzanska Pravda". After the war he was awarded the Order of the Red Star. [Rechmedin, А. P.: "Sivach krasy i dobra. Rodovid, zhytcha, tvortyist pysmennyka Valentyna Rechmedina", p.160–163. Kniha-Veha, Vinnytsia 2004. ISBN 966-261-169-6.]

After World War II he moved to Kiev where he worked at the newspapers "Radianska Ukraïna", "Literaturna Ukraïna" (as deputy chief editor) and "Kultura i zhyttia" (as chief editor) and the magazine "Vitchyzna" (as deputy chief editor from 1963). [Rechmedin, А. P.: "Sivach krasy i dobra. Rodovid, zhytcha, tvortyist pysmennyka Valentyna Rechmedina". Kniha-Veha, Vinnytsia 2004. ISBN 966-261-169-6.] [Obituary in "Literaturna Ukraïna 1986, nr.25".]

Valentyn started to write novels after the war. The stories were often based on his own experiences during the war. He always wrote in the Ukrainian language, but several books have been translated into Russian. [Rechmedin, А. P.: "Sivach krasy i dobra. Rodovid, zhytcha, tvortyist pysmennyka Valentyna Rechmedina". Kniha-Veha, Vinnytsia 2004. ISBN 966-261-169-6.]

Valentyn was also a well-known drama and literary critic. [Volodymyr Kubijovyč (ed.): "Ukraine. A Concise Encyclopædia, vol 2", p.616. University of Toronto Press 1971. ISBN 0-8020-3261-3.]

In one of his literary critiques of Mykhailo Stelmakh published in May 1972, Rechmedin noted: "The older generation sees itself in the heroes of "Velyka ridnya", "Krov lyudska - ne vodytsia", "Pravda i Kryvda", "Khlib i sil" those who had their souls scarred with disaster, poverty, hard work and injustice. [ [http://librportal.org.ua/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=517&Itemid=45 Stelmakh, Mykhailo] . "Independent Information Portal". 2007.]

Bibliography

*1951 Na verkhovyni
*1958 Koly zakypala krov
*1960 Viter z berehiv iunosty
*1960 Vidchynyv u svit ya dveri...
*1961 Vesniani hrozy
*1962 Tvii pobratym. Romantychna istoria.
*1965 Khodimo zi mnoiu, synu!
*1967 Divchyna v ternovomu vinku
*1971 Vohon batkovykh ran
*1974 Narodzhennia Afrodity
*1975 Pora piznikh dorih
*1979 Za vesnoiu vesna
*1983 Navpereimy doli
*1986 Vybrani tvory (Koly zakypala krov & Khodimo zi mnoiu, synu!)

Notes

References

* Obituary in "Literaturna Ukraïna 1986, nr.25".
* Volodymyr Kubijovyč (ed.): "Ukraine. A Concise Encyclopædia, vol 2", p.616. University of Toronto Press 1971. ISBN 0-8020-3261-3.
* A. P. Rechmedin: "Sivach krasy i dobra. Rodovid, zhytcha, tvortyist pysmennyka Valentyna Rechmedina". Kniha-Veha, Vinnytsia 2004. ISBN 966-261-169-6.