Lesya Ukrainka. Part 1

We are beginning a series of publications about Larysa Kosach, who became known throughout the world under the pen name Lesya Ukrainka. This series is a direct continuation of our stories about her remarkable mother.

The poet adopted her pen name when she was only 13 years old. “Lesya” was the affectionate family nickname by which her loved ones called her, while “Ukrainka” (“Ukrainian Woman”) was chosen under the influence of her uncle, the distinguished scholar Mykhailo Drahomanov, who published under the pen name “Ukrainets” (“Ukrainian Man”). For such a young girl, this was a conscious and courageous declaration of her national identity at a time when the Russian Empire imposed severe restrictions on Ukrainian culture.

Her parents, Petro Kosach and Olena Pchilka, created a progressive and highly intellectual Ukrainian family that became a model for future generations.

To protect their children from Russification in the state schools of the 19th century, Olena Pchilka organized their education entirely at home. The parents deliberately raised and educated their children in Ukrainian traditions. Their mother developed her own comprehensive educational program. Alongside world literature and foreign languages, the children studied mathematics, physics, and other exact and technical sciences.

This strong educational foundation, based on Olena Pchilka's original teaching system, produced remarkable results for all six children in the family. Lesya Ukrainka herself had mastered 10 languages by her youth, and at the age of 19 she independently wrote a history textbook for her younger siblings.

Lesya Ukrainka grew up in a prosperous family where national values harmoniously coexisted with European modernism. She played the piano with great skill, admired the cultures of Paris and Vienna, ordered fashionable clothing from European catalogues, and appreciated high-quality coffee. She was a highly educated intellectual who traveled extensively across Europe and was intellectually far ahead of her time.

Today, as Ukraine defends its sovereignty in the war that began in 2014 and expanded into Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, the historical experience of her family carries particular significance. It demonstrates that a well-rounded education, knowledge of the exact sciences, and a strong connection to one's native culture provide a solid foundation for society.

The story of Lesya Ukrainka continues to inspire modern Ukrainians to preserve their cultural roots and move confidently toward the future together with the civilized world.