Translating and Interpreting George Orwell in Ukraine: A Study of Literary and Critical Engagement
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46585/absa.2025.18.2775Keywords:
George Orwell; translations; Ukraine; adaptationsAbstract
This article explores the different ways George Orwell’s works have entered Ukrainian culture, with a particular focus on the translations that have introduced his sharp political commentary to Ukrainian readers. Apart from translations, we will examine other channels of interpretation, such as various adaptations and critical analyses, which have further expanded Orwell’s reach and influence in Ukraine. By analyzing these various forms of transmission, we would like to shed light on how Orwell’s themes have resonated in a Ukrainian context, and how his works continue to inspire reflection and discourse in a nation with its own complex history of sociopolitical struggle. This study represents the first attempt to gather and analyze the various interpretations of Orwell’s legacy within Ukraine.
References
Andreichykova, Olena. Genre Evolution of Modern Dystopia (Ukrainian and Foreign Literature. [In Ukrainian] PhD diss., Odesa I. I. Mechnikov National University, 2024.
Antoniuk, Emma and Yana Bryndzei, “‘1984. Julia’ by Sandra Newman.” [In Ukrainian] Palaie, August 6, 2024. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VX_VFatAwlI&t=812s>.
Belozorenko, Vlada. “1984 OCCUPATION.” [In Ukrainian] Mariia Zankovetska Theater. January 13, 2024.<https://zankovetska.com.ua/repertoire/1984/>.
Bilyk, Olha, Nathan Greenfield, Nataliia Ivanotchak, Iryna Malyshivska, and Nataliia Pyliachyk. “Unveiling the Shadows of Tragedy: Exploring a Multimodal Metaphor in Agnieszka Holland’s Mr. Jones (2019).” Acta Universitatis Sapientiae Film and Media Studies 25 (2024): 74–88.
Bilyts, Ihor. “1984. Occupation”. Interview. [In Ukrainian] TRC First Western, January 12, 2024. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2_Qe1wRKpo>.
Bodnar, Oleh. Rudnytskyi and G. Orwell’s Artistic-publicistic Visions of Totalitarianism: the Receptive and Communicative Aspect. [In Ukrainian] PhD diss., Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatuik National Pedagogical University, 2012.
Bulavynets, Nataliia, and Iryna Malyshivska. “The Psychology of Female Characters In George Orwell’s ‘1984’ And Karin Boye’s ‘Kallocain’”. [In Ukrainian] Scientific Notes of V. I. Vernadsky Taurida National University, Series: “Philology. Journalism”, 35, no. 5 (2024): 98–104. <https://doi.org/10.32782/2710-4656/2024.5.2/16>.
Butenko, Alina. “Book of the Week: ‘1984. A Graphic Novel’ by George Orwell and Xavier Costa.” [In Ukrainian] Mind.ua, June 14, 2023. <https://mind.ua/publications/20258603-knizhka-tizhnya-1984-grafichnij roman-dzhordzha-orvella-jksav-e-kosta>.
Chalupa, Andrea. Orwell and the Refugees: The Untold Story of Animal Farm. Kindle Edition, 2012.
Dubniak, Zlatyslav. “‘1984’ After February 24th: A Philosophical Rereading of Orwell’s Novel.”
Kyiv-Mohyla Humanities Journal 10 (December 2023): 49–57. <https://doi.org/10.18523/kmhj270983.2023-10.49-67>.
Holland, Agnieszka. “Interview: Agnieszka Holland.” Interview by Yonca Talu. Film Comment, December 17, 2019.<https://www.filmcomment.com/blog/interviewagnieszka-holland/>.
Karp, Masha. George Orwell and Russia. London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2023.
Kniaz, Hanna, and Anastasiia Ilchenko. “Poetics of Imagery in the Novel Animal Farm by G. Orwell.” Naukovi zapiski HNPU imeni G. S. Skovorodi Literaturoznavstvo 4 (2019): 63–77.
Kobuta, Svitlana, and Ivanna Devdiuk. “Author’s Neologisms in George Orwell’s Dystopia ‘1984’: Pragmatics of the Translations”. [In Ukrainian] Folium, (2023): 67–73. <https://doi.org/10.32782/folium/2023.3.9>.
Kobuta, Svitlana. The Concept of a ‘Free Man’ in the Creative Writings of Ivan Bahrianyi and George Orwell. [In Ukrainian] PhD diss., Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, 2015.
Kotubei-Herutska, Olesia. “George Orwell: He Was One of the First to Compare Hitler and Stalin, and He Financed the Ukrainian Translation of the Dystopian Novel.” [In Ukrainian] Suspilne.Culture, January 21, 2024. <https://suspilne.media/culture/661610-dzordz-orvell-buv-odnim-z-persih-hto-porivnav-gitlera-i-stalina-samfinansuvav-ukrainskij-pereklad-antiutopii/>.
Kukhar, Roman. “Animal Farm by George Orwell Translated by Iryna Dybko.” [In Ukrainian] Animal Farm, translated from English by Iryna Dybko, 5–9. Baltimore-Toronto: Smoloskyp, 1984.
Letemendia, V. C. “Revolution on Animal Farm: Orwell’s Neglected Commentary.” Journal of Modern Literature 18, no. 1 (1992): 127–137.
Luchuk, Olha. “‘Animal Farm’ by George Orwell in Ukrainian Translations”. [In Ukrainian] Visnyk of the Lviv University. Series International Relations 30 (2012): 382–395.
Luchuk, Olha. “Ihor Shevchenko and George Orwell: The History of One Translation.” [In Ukrainian] Scientific Notes. Series “Historical Sciences” 21 (2013): 127–131.
Lynskey, Dorian. The Ministry of Truth: The Biography of George Orwell’s 1984. London: Pan Macmillan, 2019.
Lyntvar, Olha and Yuliia Pletenetska. “Quasi-realias in the Dystopia Novel ‘1984’ by George Orwell in Translation Dimension”. [In Ukrainian] Research Journal of Drohobych Ivan Franko State Pedagogical University. Series “Philology” (Linguistics) 12 (2019):117–120.
Martynenko, Andrii. “Boualem Sansal ‘2084. The End of the World’: George Orwell is Watching You.” [In Ukrainian] Chytomo, August 23, 2016. <https://archive.chytomo.com/uncategorized/bualem-sansal-2084-kinec-svitu-george-orwell-iswatching-you>.
Miroshnychenko, Ihor. “Other Happiness Pills: A Ballet Based on George Orwell’s 1984 Performed in Kyiv.” [In Ukrainian] Interview by Yevdokiia Feshchenko. Ukraina Moloda, February 5, 2020. <https://www.umoloda.kiev.ua/number/3562/164/142981/>.
Orwell, George. “1984.” [In Ukrainian] translated from English by Vitalii Danmer, Kryvyi Rih: Hurtom.com 2013.
Orwell, George. “Preface to the Ukrainian Edition of Animal Farm.” The Orwell Foundation. <https://www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-foundation/orwell/books-by-orwell/animal-farm/preface-to-the-ukrainian-edition-of-animal-farmby-george-orwell/>.
Palianychka, Oleksii. “1984. Alpacas vs. Orwell.” [In Ukrainian] Zbruc, February 9, 2024. Accessed June 15, 2024. <https://zbruc.eu/node/117668>.
Pidhorna, Аnna. “Representation of the Concept of Totalitarianism in George Orwell’s Novel ‘1984’”. The Journal of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. Series “Philology” 83 (January 2020): 9–15. <https://doi.org/10.26565/2227-1864-2019-83-01>.
Romanchuk, Svitlana. “Moral Warnings for Young People on the Example of George Orwell’s Dystopian Novel ‘1984’”. [In Ukrainian] International Science Journal of Education & Linguistics 2, no. 4 (2023): 45–53. <https://doi.org/10.46299/j.isjel.20230204.06>.
Semkiv, Rostyslav. “Five Dangers of Modern Russia Predicted by Orwell in His Novel 1984”. [In Ukrainian] Chytomo, June 8, 2022. <https://chytomo.com/5-nebezpek-suchasnoi-rosii-iaki-peredbachyv-orvell-u-romani-1984/>.
Smilianets, Maryna. “The Podil Theater Opened its 33rd Theatrical Season with the Premiere of 1984 by Serhii Pavliuk.” [In Ukrainian] Mirror Weekly, August 30, 2019. <https://zn.ua/ukr/ART/dopit-iz-torturami-322144_.html>.
Tatara, Halyna. “George Orwell and the Ukrainian Refugees: The Untold Story of Animal Farm.” Ukrainian Institute London, July 31, 2012. Accessed May 30, 2025. <https://ukrainianinstitute.org.uk/george-orwell-and-the-ukrainian-refugees-the-untold-story-of-animal-farm>.
Zhadanov, Yurii. The Novel ‘1984’ by George Orwell in the Context of the Dystopia of the First Half of the Twentieth Century. [In Ukrainian] author’s abstract of PhD diss., Dnipropetrovsk State University, 1999.
Zhupanskyi, Oleksii, and Lesia Pishko. Annotation to As I Please. [In Ukrainian] Kyiv: Zhupanskyi Publishing House, 2025.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 David Livingstone, Iryna Malyshivska
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
