Oleksandr Konysky

Oleksandr Yakovych Konysky Олекса́ндр Я́кович Кони́ський
Born	(1836-08-18)August 18, 1836 Perekhodivka, Russian Empire
Died	December 12, 1900(1900-12-12) (aged 64) Kiev
Occupation	Interpreter, writer, lexicograph, pedagogue, poet, and civil activist
Language	Ukrainian
Nationality	Ukrainian
Notable works	Prayer for Ukraine

Oleksandr Yakovych Konysky (August 18, 1836 – December 12, 1900) was a Ukrainian interpreter, writer, lexicographer, pedagogue, poet, and civil activist of liberal direction. He had several pen names О. Return-freedom (Ukrainian: Верниволя), F. Gorovenko, V. Burkun, Perebendia, О. Khutorianyn, and others (around 150). He also was a professional lawyer and also is known as the author of the text of the Ukrainian spiritual anthem "Prayer for Ukraine".

Konysky was born in the village Perekhodivka (today Nizhyn Raion Chernihiv Oblast). He was of the old Chernihiv principality heritage that had over 400 years. The future writer grew up in the city of Nizhyn, about which he worded as such: "Nizhyn is a small city. At the same time it was the center of enlightenment of the Chernihiv lands and the north of the Poltava lands. Here was located the Bezborodko Lyceum. Beside that Nizhyn had a glorious historic past and especially in trade therefore among its people were plenty of distinguished one."

His first publication was in the Chernigovsky Listok in 1858. In Poltava and Kiev he formed Sunday's schools and written textbooks for them. Konysky also was the author of several church articles on local newspapers and was an active member of the Kievan Hromada. As the member of the Kiev City Council worked to introduce the Ukrainian language in city's schools. Among his books and textbooks were Ukrainian writing (Ukrainian: Українські прописи 1862), Arithmetics, or schotnytsia (1863), Grammar or first reading for beginning students (Ukrainian: Граматка або перша читанка задля початку вченья 1882).

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