Raven's Way

Raven's Way (Original Ukrainian title: Чорний ворон Chornyi voron; lit. Black Raven) is a 2009 Ukrainian historical novel by Vasyl Shkliar.[1] It portrays the anti-Bolshevik Ukrainian insurgency of the early 1920s and tells the story of Black Raven, nom de guerre of Ivan Chornousov, a warlord in Ukraine.

The novel was also published in Ukraine under the titles Залишенець (["the last one left"], 2009, ISBN 978-966-14-0662-8), Залишенець. Чорний Ворон (Kharkiv: Кн. клуб "Клуб Сімейного Дозвілля", 2011[2] and 2104 ISBN 978-966-14-7839-7), and Чорний Ворон. Залишенець (2019, ISBN 978-617-12-6106-8).

Reception and review

A review in Ukrainska Pravda described the book as an adventure historical novel and highlighted its dynamic narrative and battle scenes.[3]

The novel was selected for the Shevchenko National Prize in 2011.[4] This nomination became part of a public controversy. Media reported that Shkliar asked that awarding be postponed and publicly declined the state prize at the time, in a protest against Dmytro Tabachnyk's being the Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, whom he described as "Ukrainophobe".[5] The presidential decree awarding the 2011 prizes lists other laureates but does not include Shkliar among the recipients named in the document.[6] Ukrainian media described the episode as a high-profile cultural scandal.[7]

In April 2011, an alternative "People's Shevchenko Prize", was awarded to Shkliar, with the wording "For the return of historical memory to the Ukrainian nation."[8]

Translations and adaptations

The English translation, Raven's Way, was published by Kalyna Language Press (Canada) in 2015, translated by Stephen Komarnyckyj.[9][10] An earlier print of the English translation uses the title Raven (Aventura, April 2013).[11]

The Slovak translation: Čierny havran (2013).[12]

The Portuguese translation: O Corvo Negro (2015).[13]

Chornyi voron, a 2019 Ukrainian film is based on the novel.[14]

References

  1. ↑ Шкляр, Василь (2009). Чорний ворон (in Ukrainian). Kyiv: Ярославів Вал. ISBN 9789662151251. Retrieved 18 January 2026 – via Google Books.
  2. ↑ "Залишенець. Чорний Ворон". Херсонська обласна універсальна наукова бібліотека ім. Олеся Гончара (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 18 January 2026.
  3. ↑ "Василь Шкляр. "Залишенець. Чорний Ворон"". Українська правда. Життя (in Ukrainian). 17 November 2010. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
  4. ↑ Spadora, Brian (1 October 2011). "'Black Raven' Author Shklyar On Ukraine's New Dissident Writers". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
  5. ↑ "Шкляр відмовляється від Шевченківської премії, поки при владі Табачник". Радіо Свобода (in Ukrainian). 4 March 2011. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
  6. ↑ "Указ Президента України №275/2011: Про присудження Національної премії України імені Тараса Шевченка". Президент України (in Ukrainian). 4 March 2011. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
  7. ↑ "Присудження Шевченківських премій обернулося скандалом". Голос Америки (in Ukrainian). 9 March 2011. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
  8. ↑ Шкляру вручили 255 тис. грн Народної Шевченківської премії, 11 April, 2011
  9. ↑ "Raven's Way". Historical Novel Society. Retrieved 2026-01-19.
  10. ↑ Pawlina (2016-10-29). "Knyzhka Corner Book Review: Raven's Way by Vasyl Shkliar". Nash Holos Ukrainian Roots Radio. Retrieved 2026-01-18.
  11. ↑ Mussel Ihor Pavlyuk; see the sidebar about translators
  12. ↑ Čierny havran. Vasyľ Škľar
  13. ↑ O Corvo Negro
  14. ↑ Вадим, Лубчак (2019-12-07). "'The Black Raven': New Ukrainian Historical Action Movie". Freedom. Retrieved 2026-01-18.
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