Владислав Івченко. Після 24-го

Владислав Івченко

Work proposed for translation:

Після 24-го
Short stories (2022)
Length: 320 pp.
Copyright: Author: vv76@ukr.net

Vladyslav Ivchenko (born in 1976) is a contemporary Ukrainian writer. He was born in Kyiv, but later moved with his parents to Sumy, where he still lives today. He graduated from the Faculty of Economics at the State University of Sumy, while also studying creative writing at a local museum. He began his writing career in 1998. He wrote his first works in Russian, but later switched to Ukrainian. The author’s creative output includes texts of various genres: novels, short stories, poems, and essays. Vladyslav Ivchenko is a multiple winner of literary competitions, including several awards from the Koronatsiia Slova competition. For many years, Ivchenko worked as a journalist. In 2023, he was mobilised into the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Vladyslav Ivchenko wrote the book After the 24th in the first months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine (24 February 2022). The author balances between documentary and artistic writing, skilfully using the tools of fiction to record and reflect on events, states of mind and feelings that were very important at the time. The collection provides a broad panorama of Ukrainian life: the interaction of military personnel with completely different experiences and values; conflicts within families trying to leave the country and forced to make difficult choices; experiences of encounters between Ukrainians and Russians, civilians and military personnel, Ukrainian refugees and residents of European countries. The text avoids black-and-white portrayals of the characters, depicting them primarily as interesting and vivid personalities. After the 24th is a very quick reflection on real events, which obviously has its advantages and disadvantages. However, the text is characterised by the extraordinary sincerity of a first reaction, which is valuable for its candour. These stories are important not only for Ukrainians, who can use them to remember and reflect on the events of the first months of the great war, but also for foreign readers who are interested in both the experience of Ukrainians and, more generally, the behaviour of people in extreme situations of this kind.