Mykola Horbal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mykola Horbal is a well-known Ukrainian dissident, human right activists, member of parliament of Ukraine, poet, and member of the Ukrainian Helsinki Group
Contents |
[edit] Early Life
Mykola Horbal was born on May 6, 1941, in the village of Volovets in Ukraine. In 1947, his family moved to the village of Letyache.
From 1963 to 1970, Horbal worked as a music teacher. During this period, he first started creating poetry.
[edit] First Arrest
On November 24, 1970, Horbal was arrested by the KGB and charged with Anti Soviet Agitation and Propaganda. He was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment and 2 years exile in Siberia. [1].
[edit] Second Arrest
On release from prison and return to Ukraine, Horbal settled in Kyiv, where he joined the Ukrainian Helsinki Group which had formed in 1976. All of the members of the group were arrested, and on October 23, 1979, Horbal was arrested and sentenced to 5 years hard labour [2].
[edit] Third Arrest
In 1984, having completed the 5-year term, Horbal was not released from incarceration, but was immediately sentenced to another term of 8 years or hard labour and 3 years in exile. However, this sentece was terminated in 1988 during the Perestroika.
[edit] Political Career
Upon release, Horbal immediately became active in Ukrainian politics. He served as a representative to the Kyiv city council from 1990 to 1994.
He has served as a member of Parliament of Ukraine since 1994.
[edit] Publications
Horbal's works were first published outside of Ukraine. The first collection of his work was published in the US in 1983. His first collection was entitled "Details of a Noisy Alarmclock" (Ukrainian: Деталі Піщаного Годинника), and the second publication was of poetry for children, a collection entitled "A Song for Little Andrew" (Ukrainian: Коломийка Для Андрійка).
In 1986, a collection of his poetry was translated into German, and published in the collection "Here the End is Awaited" (Ukrainian: Тут Чекають Кінця).
In 1992, Horbal was awarded the prestigious Vasyl Stus Award for poetry. [3].
