January 16, 1871 Sylvester Hnatovych Yarychevskyi was born in Rohatyn – Ukrainian writer, teacher and public figure of Bukovyna, gymnasium teacher in Przemyśl, Kolomyia, Kitzman since 1909 in Seret
He was born on January 16, 1871 in the town of Rohatyn (now Ivano-Frankivsk region) in the family of a tailor. After finishing primary school, he studied at the Berezhansk gymnasium, where together with Bohdan Lepky he founded a literary and artistic circle, the motto of which was the words of J. Goethe “More light!”. In 1891, he began to publish his poetry in newspapers and magazines, entered the philosophy faculty of Lviv University, met Ivan Franko and Mykhailo Pavlyk, and became a member of the radical party led by them. Wanting to master Slavic languages, the poet goes to the University of Vienna, where he listens to the lectures of the outstanding Slavic scientist Vatroslav Yagich.
In Vienna, S. Yarychevskiy develops active creative work — he writes many poems, essays, stories, as well as articles about the artistic life of the capital. Friendship with Mark Cheremshina, Meletii Kichura, and correspondence with Osip Makovey are of great importance to him. During his studies, he participated in the publication of the almanac “Sich”, published his poetry in the newspaper “Bukovyna”, in the magazines “Dzvinok”, “Zorya”, “Komar”, “Science and Literary Bulletin”, etc.
After graduating from the University of Vienna, S. Yarychevskyi got a position as a teacher of Ukrainian language and literature at the Przemyślna Gymnasium, where he worked for ten months. From Przemyśl, S. Yarychevsky moves to the Kolomyia Gymnasium. It was difficult for him to work there, because the teachers, led by the director, spread anti-Ukrainian sentiments, and this caused a stormy reaction of the poet. The principal fired the restless teacher.
Soon S. Yarychevsky moved to Chernivtsi, where he worked for a while in the newspaper “Bukovyna”, and in the fall of 1904 he got a job as a teacher at the Kitzman Gymnasium. In Kitzman, S. Yarychevskii develops pedagogical, social, cultural and creative activities with his characteristic energy. He directs the choir of the “Boyan” society, organizes the “Sich” society in the villages of the Kitzmansk region, and is friends with the writer Kostyantina Malytska.
Sylvester Yarychevskyi worked at the Kitzman Gymnasium for only two years. Because its leadership and imperial officials came to the conclusion that the writer has a negative influence on the students, gives them the wrong political orientation, and dismissed him from his post. The poet becomes unemployed again, but remains in Kitzman, where he works intensively on his works.
As early as 1909, the writer with bitter misfortune received the position of teacher in the gymnasium of the town of Seret in South Bukovyna. A few years later, the town’s residents elect him as their burgomaster. At the same time, he becomes the director of the gymnasium.
The writer died on March 30, 1918 in Seret, where he is buried.
Sources: Wikipedia, Historical Truth, Teren portal.