The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07.
Vinnichenko, Vladimir
(vldy´mr vynchn´k) (KEY) , 18801951, Ukrainian writer and statesman. Vinnichenkos early tales are naturalistic; his later novels concern the individuals conflict with society. Vinnichenkos witty and satirical dramas, including The Black Panther and the White Bear (1911), were internationally popular. He was repeatedly persecuted by the czarist government for revolutionary activities. In 1918 he was named president of the Ukrainian directorate, for a while heading the Peoples Republic. His Rebirth of a Nation (3 vol., 1920) deals with the history of the revolution (191720) in Ukraine. After the revolution failed, Vinnichenko lived in France.