Viktor Ivanovych Polozhiy¶
Birth: August 11, 1949, Staroziniv, Bilopillia Raion, Sumy Oblast, Ukrainian SSR
Death: May 21, 2004, Ukraine
Occupation: Writer, literary critic, editor, educator
Languages: Ukrainian, Russian
Notable Works: Ashes on Wounds, The Sunny Wind, The City That Never Was, Eternal City
Affiliations: Member of the Union of Soviet Writers, Member of the Union of Ukrainian Writers
Biography¶
Early Life and Education¶
Viktor Polozhiy was born in Staroziniv, Bilopillia Raion, Sumy Oblast, and completed his education at the Ternivka Secondary School. He pursued higher studies at the Philology Faculty of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.
After university, Polozhiy worked as a teacher and later as a school director in Vysochne, Ratne Raion, Volyn Oblast. In 1983, he completed postgraduate studies at the Institute of Literature of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, where he later worked as a researcher. His doctoral dissertation focused on the works of Yuri Bondarev and was later published as a monograph.
Literary Career¶
Polozhiy debuted in science fiction with his short story Something is Wrong... (1980). He soon gained recognition with the publication of the novel Ashes on Wounds (1981) and the collection of novellas Little Journeys.
He became known for his masculine, rigorous narrative style, as seen in works like Ashes on Wounds, A Vacation with Family Visits, Stratification, The Ball, and Once Upon a Time There Was Ivan. His writing was highly acclaimed in Moscow, earning multiple literary awards, and was translated into English, Spanish, Bulgarian, and Slovak.
Apart from fiction, he was a prominent literary critic and served as an editor: - Editor of the prose department in the journal Kyiv
- Chief editor of the Dovzhenko Film Studio (from 1985)
- Editor of the film association "Zemlya"
He was also the compiler of science fiction anthologies, including Adventures, Travels, and Science Fiction-80 (ППФ-80) and PFF-84, and a reviewer for PFF-86. His novella Once Upon a Time There Was Ivan gained significant literary attention.
Illness and Death¶
Polozhiy suffered from a severe heart condition, and doctors suggested waiting for a transplant. However, he passed away on May 21, 2004, at the age of 54. He was laid to rest next to his father, Ivan Mykolayovych Polozhiy, at the village cemetery in Yasnohorodka, Makariv Raion, Kyiv Oblast.
Literary Works¶
Novel¶
- 1981 – Попіл на рани (Ashes on Wounds)
Novellas¶
- 1980 – Щось негаразд (Something is Wrong...)
- 1982 – Відпустка з відвідинами близьких (A Vacation with Family Visits)
- 1982 – Жив-був Іван (Once Upon a Time There Was Ivan)
- 1982 – М'яч (The Ball)
- 1982 – Подорожі з маленькою дочкою (Journeys with a Little Daughter)
- 1982 – Розшарування (Stratification)
- 1986 – Пілот трансгалактичного (Pilot of the Transgalactic)
- 1986 – Приватна клініка доктора Буатрегано (Doctor Buatregan’s Private Clinic)
- 1987 – Игра в миражи (Game in Mirages)
- 1988 – Вечный город (Eternal City)
Short Stories¶
- 1981 – Човен у тумані (Boat in the Fog)
- 1982 – Шмат хліба (A Piece of Bread)
- 1982 – Кузнец Митроша (Blacksmith Mitrosha)
- 1982 – Через тридцять років (Thirty Years Later)
- 1986 – А в тій кузні коваль клепле… (And in That Forge, the Blacksmith Hammers...)
- 1986 – Великі очі Волині (The Big Eyes of Volyn)
- 1986 – Голи під завісу (Goals at the End)
- 1986 – Кораблі в лісі (Ships in the Forest)
- 1986 – Короборо
- 1986 – Поповнення (Reinforcement)
- 1986 – Про користь інструкцій (On the Usefulness of Instructions)
- 1986 – Третя спроба (The Third Attempt)
- 1986 – Центр Всесвіту (The Center of the Universe)
- 1986 – Шабля прибульця (The Alien’s Saber)
- 1988 – Планета з діркою (Planet with a Hole)
- 2009 – Обійстя Котича і світ довкола (Kotych’s Homestead and the World Around It) – Published posthumously
Literary Criticism¶
- 1985 – Прекрасный и суровый мир Александра Грина (The Beautiful and Harsh World of Alexander Grin) – Afterword to Scarlet Sails
Bibliography¶
Notable Collections¶
- 1986 – Сонячний вітер (The Sunny Wind) – Sci-Fi Stories
- Anthologies: PFF-80, PFF-84, PFF-86
Periodical Publications¶
- 1980 – Щось негаразд (Something is Wrong...) – Debut sci-fi short story
- 1986 – Сонячний вітер (The Sunny Wind) – Collection of novellas and short stories
- 1986 – А в тій кузні коваль клепле... – Published in Kyiv magazine
- 1988 – Планета з діркою (Planet with a Hole) – Published in Moscow literary journals
Translations¶
Polozhiy’s works were translated into:
- Russian
- English
- Spanish
- Bulgarian
- Slovak
Legacy¶
Viktor Polozhiy was a notable figure in Ukrainian literature, blending realism and science fiction. His works stood out for their rigorous and masculine tone, and he gained international recognition through translations and awards.
Beyond fiction, he contributed criticism, editorial work, and screenwriting. His deep love for literature, unique humor, and passion for football were well known among his peers.
Though his life was cut short, his influence on Ukrainian science fiction and literature remains significant, and his stories continue to captivate readers today.