Taras Voznyak


Taras Voznyak is a Ukrainian culturologist, political scientist, editor-in-chief and founder of Independent Cultural Journal "Ї", director of the Lviv National Art Gallery, laureate of the Vasyl Stus Prize.

Biography

Taras Voznyak was born after his father returned from exile in Magadan. The family settled in the town of Broshniv-Osada. 1974–1979 – Taras Voznyak studies at Lviv Polytechnic Institute
Taras Voznyak was close to an informal group of intellectuals united under the name "Lvivska Shkola". Ihor Klekh, Hryhoriy Komskyi, Mykola Yakovyna and others were part of this group, which was operating in Lviv in the 1980s. He organised the printing of samizdat culturology literature. He translated a large number of texts and also published within samizdat, in particularly the books of Polish-Jewish writer Bruno Schulz.

Editor – Independent Cultural Journal "Ї"

In 1987 Taras Voznyak together with Mykola Yakovyna initiated the creation of the Independent Cultural Journal. The name of the Journal – "Ї" – was thought up by Ukrainian translator Hryhoriy Kochur and linguist Yuriy Shevelyov during the meeting in Lviv.
The first issue of the Independent Cultural Journal "Ї" was published in 1989. Since then Taras Voznyak remains the Journal's editor-in-chief and publisher. With the support from Reform Movement of Lithuania "Sajudis", the first five Journal issues were manufactured as photocopies in Vilnius. The photocopies would be brought to Lviv, and then they were stitched and distributed nationally in Ukraine. This is when Oleksandr Kryvenko, the editor of samvydav Lviv newspaper "Postup", joined the Journal team. In 1995 the Journal was officially registered – Taras Voznyak, Mykhaylo Moskal and Oleksandr Pohranychnyi became the Journal founders.
Independent Cultural Journal "Ї" is published in paper and electronic form. The Journal has long ago transformed into an influential NGO and a think tank. The main issues, which the NGO Independent Cultural Journal "Ї" is working upon, are the issues of civil society, human rights, interethnic relations, cross-border cooperation, multiculturalism, European integration, regionalism, globalisation and anti-globalist movements, ecumenical dialogue, political changes in the region.
As a leader of NGO Independent Cultural Journal "Ї" Taras Voznyak organises and holds numerous international, national and local conferences, meetings, round table discussion, and other events. He is the initiator and organiser of community campaigns on the promotion of cultural heritage of Halychyna – in particular the sculptor of 18th century Johann-Georg Pinzel, writer and painter Bruno Schulz, writer Zygmunt Haupt.
Journal "Ї" has become a cult publication in Lviv. Journal's series have been reconstructing local identities of Halychyna, Volyn, Zakarpattya, Bukovina for many years. Several Journal issues have been promoting the almost non-existent Polish, Jewish and Armenian cultural landscapes of the region – Polish, Jewish and Armenian "uni-verse" of Halychyna. A range of Journal issues is dedicated to phenomena of the cities – Lviv, Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Kolomyja, Zhovkva.
In 2001, an honorary distinction "Order for Intellectual Bravery" was established, which since then has been accepted by Borys Tarasyuk,, Myroslav Popovych, Emma Andijevska, Roman Viktyuk, Vyacheslav Bryukhovetskyi, Valentyn Sylvestrov, Myroslav Marynovych,, Andrzej Nikodemowicz,, Pavlo Chuchka,,, Bohdan Osadchuk,, Mustafa Jemilev, Anatoliy Hrytsenko, Ihor Isichenko,,, Igor Shevchenko,,, Moses Fishbein,, Bohdan Havrylyshyn, Mykola Kniazhyckyi, Karmela Cepkolenko,, Ruslana Lazhychko,,,,, Taras Prochasko,,,, Yosyf Zisels,, Stanisław Rosiek, Tamara Hundorova, Oleksander Roitburd,,,,,,, Vlada Ralko,, Timothy Snyder,, Andrzej Betlej, Oleh Khoma, Roman Szporliuk,,,,, .

Public life and opinion journalism

During the 1990s Taras Voznyak has started to actively publish his culturology essays in Ukraine as well as abroad. He is the author of more than 400 publications in Ukrainian and foreign media; he also writes for the following magazines: "Ї", "Suchasnist", "Kyiv", "Philosophical and Sociological Thought", "Krytyka", "Geneza", "Universum", "Glavred" ; newspapers: "Den", "Dzerkalo Tyzhnya", "Gazeta Po-Ukrainsky", "Ukraina Moloda", "Ukrainskyi Tyzhden", blogs: Ukrainska pravda, "Zbruc".
From the time Ukraine won its independence, Taras Voznyak has continuously been involved in establishing cross-border cooperation and maintaining international relations, while holding various official posts.
Taras Voznyak was awarded with an honorary distinction "Knight of Halychyna" in the nomination "Public Figure", a distinction "20 Years of the First Democratic Convocation of Lviv Regional Council", a distinction by Lviv Mayor "Saint George Distinction of Honour", Cross of Merit, a distinction of Polish-Ukrainian Ignacy Jan Paderewski Foundation, Honorary award "100th anniversary of the proclamation of the Western Ukrainian People's Republic", laureate of, awarded by honorary award of the Chernivtsi regional state administration "To the glory of Bukovyna", awarded by the Order of Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania "Wear Yours and Believe", laureate of, Officer's Order "For Merit to Lithuania", with the distinction of "Knight of Culture", Order of Arts of the Ukrainian National Academy of Arts.

Published works

  • Voznyak Т., "Folio", 1998, 667 p.,
  • Voznyak Т., Lviv, "Ї", 2009, 180 p.,
  • Voznyak Т., Lviv, "Ї", 2009, 290 p.,
  • Voznyak Т., Lviv, "Ї", 2009, 300 p.,
  • Voznyak Т. : "Ї", 2010, 180 p.,
  • Voznyak Т., Lviv: "Ї", 2010, 264 p.,
  • Voznyak Т., Lviv: "Ї", 2010, 202 p.,
  • Voznyak Т., Lviv: "Ї", 2010, 122 p.,
  • Voznyak Т., Lviv: "Ї", 2010, 444 c.,
  • Voznyak Т., Lviv: "Ї", 2011, 200 p.,
  • Voznyak Т., Lviv: "Ї", 2012, 218 p.,
  • Voznyak Т., Lviv: «Ї», 2013, 544 p.,
  • Voznyak Т., Lviv: «Ї», 2010, 456 p.,
  • Voznyak Т., Lviv: «Ї», Selected Epiphanies, 2014, 106 p.
  • Voznyak Т., Lviv: «Ї», 2015, 220 p.,
  • Voznyak Т., Kyiv, Duch i Litera, 2016, 590 p.
  • Voznyak Т., Kyiv, Duch i Litera, 2017, 467 p.
  • Voznyak Т., Lviv: «Ї», 2017, 300 p.
  • Voznyak Т., Lviv: «Ї», 2017, 475 p.
  • Voznyak Т., Kyiv, Duch i Litera, 2017, 196 p.
  • Voznyak Т., Kyiv, Duch i Litera, 2017, 546 p.,
  • Voznyak Т., Kyiv, Duch i Litera, 2018, 252 p.,
  • Voznyak Т., Kyiv, Duch i Litera, 2018, 498 p.,
  • Voznyak Т., Lviv, Rastr 7, 2020, 368 p.,
  • Voznyak Т., Kyiv, Duch i Litera, 2020, 258 p.,
  • Voznyak Т., Kyiv, Duch i Litera, 2022, 256 p.,
  • Voznyak Т., Lviv: «Ї», 2022, 116 p.,
  • Voznyak Т., Lviv: «Ї», 2024, 216 p.,ISBN 978-6178164-75-1
  • Voznyak Т., Lviv: «Ї», 2025, 192 p., ISBN 978-617-8590-55-0

Additional sources of information

  • Алла Татаренко. Српска књижевност као огледало балканске драме — Белград, — 31 березня 2000 року
  • Ukraina: brak pomysłu na państwo — Краків, — No.26, 30 червня 2001 року
  • Уляна Івашків. — Львів, Поступ — 24 грудня 2002 року
  • Ігор Мельник. — Львів, Поступ — 14 травня 2004
  • Яна Кутько. — Київ, День — No.182, 9 жовтня 2004 року
  • Михаил Гольд. — — лютий 2009 року
  • Валерий Сердюченко. — Нью-Йорк, — No. 299, 24 листопада 2002 року
  • Ірина Сиривко. — Львів, Поступ — 22 січня 2004 року
  • Володимир Цибулько. — Київ, — No.82, 11 травня 2007 року