Ukraine is home to a vibrant culture that has shaped the world in many unique ways. Known mainly for its Orthodox churches, Ukraine is nestled between Russia, Belarus, Poland, Moldova, and Romania. Kiev is the capital of Ukraine and it is home to some of the best authors of the country. While there are a variety of intriguing Ukrainian literary classics, there are several that readers need to read as soon as possible. These are some of the greatest Ukrainian works, written by some of the best authors from Ukraine.

Kobzar by Taras Shevchenko

Taras Shevchenk is both a poet and an artist. Published in 1840, Kobzar is the Ukrainian word for “folk singer” and is Shevchenk’s first collection of literary works. While many authors were unable to have their works published due to an existing literary ban at the time, Shevchenk was granted permission and soon after grew in popularity as a result of the book.

Tiger Trappers by Ivan Bahrianyi

Tiger Trappers is the partial autobiography of Ivan Bahrianyi. Published in 1944, Tiger Trappers provides a picture of the chaos that was occurring in Ukraine during the time while also combining the scenes with a romantic story. Tiger Trapper goes in depth about the turmoils of World War 2, including the deaths that were occurring in concentration camps.

Eneïda by Ivan Kotliarevsky

Ivan Kotliarevsky is a Ukrainian poet who wrote Eneïda based on The Aeneid. Eneïda uses the plot of Virgil’s famous poem and offers readers a description of Ukrainian culture. Eneïda is set during the eighteenth century and was one of the first literary pieces to utilize the Ukrainian language in its spoken form rather than its literary one.

Stolen Happiness by Ivan Franko

Stolen Happiness faced many publication issues during its early days. Due to the ban on Ukrainian literature at the time, Stolen Happiness had to initially be released in a periodical. As a result the classic didn’t gain popularity until it was promoted by the popular literary committee, Lviv Theatre.

Ukraine in Flames by Alexander Dovzhenko

Ukraine in Flames is both a novel and a film by Alexander Dovzhenko. The book and films both describe the lives of the lower-income Ukrainian citizens during World War 2. Ukraine in Flames is classified as a drama novel and promotes the strong heritage of Ukrainian citizens.