THE LIFE OF IVAN FRANKO

 

 

August 27, 1857

Franko was born in the village of Nahuievychi, in the Drohobych county of eastern Halychyna, which is now in the Lviv oblast. He wrote about his childhood in the short stories U kuzni (In the Smithy), Malyi Myron (Little Myron), Pid Oborohom (Under the Haystack).

 

1862-1864

Schooling in the village Yasenycia Silna.

 

1864-1867

Studies in the normal school operated by the Basilian monastery in Drohobych.

 

1867-1875

Studies in the Drohobych Gymnasium (secondary school). He wrote about his school years in the short stories Hrytseva shkilna nauka (Hrytz’ School Lesson), Schoenschreiben (Caligraphy), Olivets (The Pencil), U Stoliarni (In the Wood Shop).

 

1875

Franko entered the philosophy faculty of the university in Lviv. He became a member of the editorial board of the journal Druh.

 

1876

Franko publishes the stories Lesyshyna Cheliad’ and Dva Pryiateli (Two Friends) in the literary almanach Dnistrianka. The first collection of poetry Ballads and Tales was published.

 

1877

The first of the stories in the Boryslaw cycle are published.

 

June, 1877

The first imprisonment.

 

January, 1877

The trial of Franko and his like-minded colleagues. They were accused of belonging to a secret socialist organization which, in reality, did not exist. In the prison cell Franko wrote the satire Smorhonska Akademiya (The Smorhon Academy).

 

1878

Franko and Pavlyk established the journal Hromadsky Druh. In that year only two issues were published and the journal was banned. The publishers published two collections in journal format, Dzvin and Molot.

 

1878-1880

Franko publishes a series of books “Dribna Biblioteka”.

 

March, 1880

The second arrest and a three month encarceration in the Kolomyia prison. The writer was charged with arousing the peasants to civil disobedience. His impressions of the Kolomyia prison life are described in the work Na Dni (On the Bottom).

 

1881

The publication of the journal Swit, (The World) with very active participation of Ivan Franko, who wrote 52% of the material, excluding the unsigned editorials. This journal published the novel Boryslaw Smiyetsia (Boryslaw Is Laughing).

 

1881 – 1882

Franko lived in Nahuyevychi. Here he wrote the novel Zakhar Berkut, translated Goethe’s Faust and Heine’s poem Nimechchyna,

wrote a series of articles on T. Shevchenko, reviewed the collection Khutorna Poeziya by P. Kulish

 

1883

Franko works in the journal Zorya (The Star). He also becomes a member of the editing board of the newspaper Dilo (Action).

 

1885-1886

Franko visits Kyiv. He meets M. Lysenko, I. Nechuy-Levycky, M. Starycky, P. Zhytecky, O. Konysky, V. Antonovych.

 

May, 1886

Franko marries Olha Khorunzhynska.

 

1887

Publication of Z vershyn i nyzhyn ((From Hills and Valleys),a collection dedicated to O. Khorunzhynska.

 

1887-1997

Franko works on the editorial board of the newspaper Kurjer Lwowsky, (The Lviv Courrier).

 

1988

Franko writes the poem Smert’ Kayina (The Death of Cain).

 

1989

Franko is arrested for the third time. A two-month imprisonment for having contacts with a group of students from Kyiv who were visiting Halychyna.

 

1890

The appearance of the collection of stories U poti chola (In the Sweat of the Brow) Franko is responsible for the appearance of a new biweekly, Narod. Through the initiatives of I. Franko and M. Pavlyk, the Rus’ko-Ukrainska Radykalna Party is formed.

 

1892

Franko lectured at the university in Chernivtsi, during the last semester.

 

July 1, 1893

Franko defended his doctoral dissertation, Varlaam and Yosaaf, on the old Christian spiritual novel and its literary history, with professor Yahych.

 

1893

Franko published the drama, Ukradene shchastia (Stolen Happiness), and it was staged by the Rus’ka Besida theater.

 

1894-1897

Franko publishes the journal, Zhyttia I Slovo (Life and the Word).

 

1896

The collection of lyric poems, Zivyale Lystia (The Withered Leaves) is published.

 

1896-97

Franko runs in the elections to the Vienna Seym (parliament).

 

1897

Publication of the collection Miy izmarahd (My Emerald) and of the second edition of Z Vershyn I Nyzyn.

 

1898

Publication of the poem, Pokhoron (The Funeral).

 

1898

Celebration of the 25th Jubilee of the authors literary work.

 

1898

Publication of the collection Poemy, in which were included works based on the themes of Eastern epic poetry, - Istar, Satni I Tabubu, Bidnyi Henrikh (The Poor Henry), Poema pro bilu Sorochku (The Poem about the White Shirt).

 

1900

Publication of the collection Iz dniv zhurby (From the Days of My Worries) and the poem Ivan Vyshensky.

 

1904

Franko visited Rome.

 

1905

Franko wrote the poem Moysey (Moses).

 

1906

The Kharkiv university grants Franko an honorary doctorate. O. Shakhmatov and F. Korshch presented Franko as a candidate for membership in the Russian Academy of Sciences, which, however was blocked by reactionary forces of the empire.

 

1906

Publication of the collection Semper Tiro.

 

1913

Celebration of the 40th anniversary of Franko’s literary work.

 

1914

Publication of a jubilee collection, Pryvit Ivanovi Frankovi, Greeting Ivan Franko.

 

1914

Publication of the collection Iz lit moyeyi molodosti (From the Years of My Youth).

 

May 28, 1916

Franko died in Lviv. He was burried at the Lychakivsky Cemetery.