In The Witches of Kyiv and Other Gothic Tales by Orest Somov the supernatural is present throughout Ukraine, from a cemetery in Kyivan Rus, to an isolated forest cottage in the seventeenth century Kozak era, to the society ballrooms of Somov’s own world – the early nineteenth century. Gothic horror appears in many guises including witches, warlocks, demons and vengeful ‘rusalka’. Strange soothsayers and malevolent visitors represent the forces of good and evil. In her foreword Dr Svitlana Krys describes Somov “as an initiator of an indigenous literary tradition of the Gothic in the Ukrainian literary canon”. Native folk traditions, ghost stories and European Romanticism are twisted together in Somov’s imaginative tales, most of which are published here in English for the first time.

Behold the fury is raging… Under the glow of a burning red sky a fugitive from war learns of a malevolent serpent that once inhabited the caves outside Kyiv. In the dark ages of Ukraine a charismatic tribal leader defies supernatural sacrificial rituals and counsels his people to live in unity and peace so that a nation can arise. A cemetery in the old city of Khastiv stirs with the ghostly Haidamaka people who keep vigil every Easter, awaiting their promised liberator. In medieval Vinnytsia a powerful and sadistic monk mutilates local women, invoking the fury of the tormented villagers. On a quiet summer’s evening flickering lights reveal a mass of pilgrims paying homage with a prayer and song at a life-giving sacred well. A man returning to his homeland, ravaged by Tsarism and the Bolshevik revolution, visits the ruins of an ancient castle where treasure is said to be hidden for posterity, protected by ferocious flames. Treasure of the Ages invites the reader into a mystical, ancient world but one that also reflects the harsh reality of the lives of ordinary Ukrainians during the turbulent times of the socialist revolution that the author Klym Polischuk inhabited.

"The Story of Pysanka. A Collection of Articles on Ukrainian Easter Eggs." What do Egyptian Kneph and Ptah, Māori Tangaroa and Finnish Ilmatar have in common? Why are cross, meander and swastika associated with some cultures' Easter egg? What is the difference between the two most popular types of Ukrainian Easter egg, pysanka and krashanka? What message could one pass with a pysanka? Can a pysanka protect your family and ward off evil powers? Answers to these and some other questions can be found in this book. "The Story of Pysanka" consists of articles written by Ukrainian ethnographers in the 19th century. This is their first translation into English. Contemporary pysanky expert, Pavlo Rybalko, wrote the foreword. An extensive bibliography, glossary and indexare included, as well as black and white illustrations. Who would have thought that Easter eggs could be a topic of one's Doctoral Dissertation? Well, indeed, it was, and not once. As they say, 'ab ovo' ☺. "The Story of Pysanka" is the first book in Sova Books' Ukrainian Scholar Library series. It will be followed by publications on Ukrainian Spells, Ukrainian Herbal Medicine, Ukrainian Mythology and others. About the Series: Sova Books' Ukrainian Scholar Library offers works written by Ukrainian intellectuals on various subjects. Let it be History, Folk Music and Lore, Literary Studies, Religion or Politics - these subjects and hopefully more with time will be covered by the series. The works span several centuries and most have Ukraine as their main or starting point of discussion. Whether you are a scholar or not, you may find the answers to what you are looking for in your quest of knowledge in these books.

While the undisputed heyday of folk horror was Britain in the 1960s and 1970s, the genre has not only a rich cinematic and literary prehistory, but directors and novelists around the world have also been reinventing folk horror for the contemporary moment. This study sets out to rethink the assumptions that have guided critical writing on the genre in the face of such expansions, with chapters exploring a range of subjects from the fiction of E. F. Benson to Scooby-Doo, video games, and community engagement with the Lancashire witches. In looking beyond Britain, the essays collected here extend folk horror's geographic terrain to map new conceptualisations of the genre now seen emerging from Italy, Ukraine, Thailand, Mexico and the Appalachian region of the US.

Satan comes to Soviet Moscow in this critically acclaimed translation of one of the most important and best-loved modern classics in world literature. The Master and Margarita has been captivating readers around the world ever since its first publication in 1967. Written during Stalin’s time in power but suppressed in the Soviet Union for decades, Bulgakov’s masterpiece is an ironic parable on power and its corruption, on good and evil, and on human frailty and the strength of love. In The Master and Margarita, the Devil himself pays a visit to Soviet Moscow. Accompanied by a retinue that includes the fast-talking, vodka-drinking, giant tomcat Behemoth, he sets about creating a whirlwind of chaos that soon involves the beautiful Margarita and her beloved, a distraught writer known only as the Master, and even Jesus Christ and Pontius Pilate. The Master and Margarita combines fable, fantasy, political satire, and slapstick comedy to create a wildly entertaining and unforgettable tale that is commonly considered the greatest novel to come out of the Soviet Union. It appears in this edition in a translation by Mirra Ginsburg that was judged “brilliant” by Publishers Weekly. Praise for The Master and Margarita “A wild surrealistic romp. . . . Brilliantly flamboyant and outrageous.” —Joyce Carol Oates, The Detroit News “Fine, funny, imaginative. . . . The Master and Margarita stands squarely in the great Gogolesque tradition of satiric narrative.” —Saul Maloff, Newsweek “A rich, funny, moving and bitter novel. . . . Vast and boisterous entertainment.” —The New York Times “The book is by turns hilarious, mysterious, contemplative and poignant. . . . A great work.” —Chicago Tribune “Funny, devilish, brilliant satire. . . . It’s literature of the highest order and . . . it will deliver a full measure of enjoyment and enlightenment.” —Publishers Weekly

"Traditional Velykden: Ukrainian Easter Recipes" is dedicated to the magnificent Ukrainian festival, Velykden, the day that has no equal in its celebration and is filled with ancient customs, good spirits and rich food. The recipes of the most popular traditional Easter dishes include: kholodets, shynka or buzhenyna, pashtet and pyrizhky. Desserts are presented by such Ukrainian classic delights as medivnyk, makivnyk, rohalyky and verhuny. Some of the best paska recipes are included in the book. The articles describe the significance of Velykden, its rituals and attributes, including krashanka and pysanka, paska and the Easter basket.

Both Russian and Ukrainian writers have explored the politics of identity in the post-Soviet period, but while the canon of Russian imperial thought is well known, the tradition of resistance - which in the Ukrainian case can be traced as far back as the meeting of the Russian and Ukrainian polities and cultures of the seventeenth century - is much less familiar."--BOOK JACKET.

DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "Tam O'Shanter" by Robert Burns. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.

This companion novel to Skrypuch's Making Bombs for Hitler follows a boy who joins the underground Ukrainian resistance in the fight against Hitler. The Nazis took Luka from his home in Ukraine and forced him into a labor camp. Now, Luka has smuggled himself out -- even though he left behind his dearest friend, Lida. Someday, he vows, he'll find her again.But first, he must survive.Racing through the woods and mountains, Luka evades capture by both Nazis and Soviet agents. Though he finds some allies, he never knows who to trust. As Luka makes difficult choices in order to survive, desperate rescues and guerilla raids put him in the line of fire. Can he persevere long enough to find Lida again or make it back home where his father must be waiting for him?Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, author of Making Bombs for Hitler, delivers another action-packed story, inspired by true events, of daring quests and the crucial decisions we make in the face of war.