Franko in Numbers

ARITHMETICS OF A GENIUS

Franko in Numbers

It is a definite and universally recognized fact that Franko is great. Yet, what is so great about Franko after all?

Instead of singing him praises with high-flown words, let us try and look at the phenomenon of Franko without fanfares – not through the impressed lens of an advocate or the cold eye of a mathematician but through the prism of objective and, what may seem, dry numbers.

Sometimes they can attest to more than the long-winded eulogies can.

Thus, Franko in numbers is

  • ~ 60 incomplete years of life (27 August 1856 – 28 May 1916).

  • > 40 years of active creative work.

  • Lost his father at 9 years old (1865).

  • Lost his mother at 16 years old (1872).

  • > 20 years of studies: "trivial" (primary) school at the village of Yasenytsia Silna (1862–1864) → "normal" Main City School of the Basilian Fathers in Drohobych (1864–1867) → Drohobych Franz Joseph Gymnasium (1867–1875) → Lviv University (1875–1877, 1878–1879, with breaks) → Chernivtsi University (1890–1891) → University of Vienna (1892–1893, doctoral studies).

  • The earliest currently known verse written at 15 years old ("Easter", 1871).

  • First publications in press – at 18 years old (Druh magazine, 1874).

  • First collection of poetry – at 20 years old (Ballads and Stories, 1876).

  • Got married at 30 years old.

  • Got his PhD at 37 years old.

  • 4 arrests for political reasons (1877, 1880, 1889 і 1892).

  • 3 failed attempts to become member of Halychyna Sejm and Austrian Parliament (1895, 1897, 1898).

  • 3 loves of his life (Olha Roshkevych, Yuzefa Dzvonkovska, Tselina Zhurovska).

  • 1 wife (Olha of the Khoruzhynskyi family, from Sloboda Ukraine).

  • 4 children (Andriy, Taras, Petro, Anna).

  • 27 years with no home of his own in Lviv, life in rented apartments until 46 years old (1902), when he moved into his own house together with family, a house built in Sofiyivka, the outskirts at the time (4 Poninskoho St.)

  • 25th (1898) and 40th (1913) anniversary of his creative activities officially celebrated by the community.

  • 19 foreign languages mastered.

  • 5 languages of original works (most written in Ukrainian, a number written in German, Polish, Russian and Bulgarian).

  • ~ 100 pen names (Dzhedzhalyk, Myron, Myron Storozh (the Guard), Myron Kovalyshyn, Ruslan, Ivan Zhyviy, Unknown, Non-David, Non-Teofast, Non severus, Vivus, Marko V-a, One of the youth, One of the Ruthenians of Lviv and many others).

  • > 6 000 works.

  • 10 collections of poetry (books of verses) and 1 collection of poems.

  • ~ 50 poems.

  • 10 long prose works.

  • ~ 100 short prose works.

  • ~ 3,000 research and opinion papers in various spheres of knowledge and social life.

  • Ukrainian translations of works of almost 200 authors from 14 languages and 37 national literatures.

  • > 220 separate publications (books and brochures), including > 60 collections of original and translated works of various genres.

  • > 5,000 units stored in personal archives of the writer (16th–20th cent.).

  • ~ 12,000 books in personal library.

  • 50 volumes of the latest complete edition of works.

  • ~ 100 volumes – expected number of volumes in the future complete edition.

  • Portrait on 20 UAH bill.

  • Thousands of people attending youth festivals Franko Fest and Franko Mission.

  • Millions of fans around the world.

  • Multimillion print runs of numerous editions of his works in different languages and in different countries.

  • 1 (one) nation to which Franko's life and creative deed is dedicated – Ukrainians.

  • 1 (one) state which can be proud of its Genius before the world and is responsible for the fate of his legacy – Ukraine.

 

First print: B. Tykholoz. Greatness without Fanfare or Franko in Numbers / Bohdan Tykholoz // Den. – 2012. – No. 151 (Tuesday, 28 August).

[Electronic resource]. Available at: http://incognita.day.kiev.ua/velich-bez-pafosu-abo-franko-v-czifrax.html