Непересічна постать Олени Пчілки тісно пов'язана з Києвом, де вона навчалася, брала
шлюб, писала та видавала літературно-художні твори й наукові праці, здійснювала культурно-
громадську, просвітницьку й видавничу діяльність. Тут знайшла вічний спочинок. Стаття
присвячена київському періоду життя відомої письменниці.
The article is dedicated to the 170-th anniversary of Olena Pchilka’s birth. Olha Kosach (1849–1930,
Olena Pchilka being her literary pseudonym) was a Ukrainian writer, corresponding member of the
Pan-Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, folklorist, ethnographer, journalist, publisher, social and cultural
activist. She was also the mother of Lesia Ukrainka, Mykhailo Obachnyi and Olesia Zirka.
The article highlights one of the most important periods of her life, strongly connected to Kyiv.
Olha Kosach had been studying here at Mrs. Nelhovska’s boarding school for girls and then lived
together with the family of her brother Mykhailo Drahomanov who was a professor at St. Volodymyr
University. She married Petro Kosach, a lawyer and conciliator in court cases of peasants an member
of the union “Stara Hromada”. Later in Volyn young Olha Kosach never broke up her ties with Kyiv,
working on her first scholarly research about Ukrainian folk ornament, translating from Russian and
Polish, writing her own poetry, prose and drama. She was one of the editors of “Kiievskaya Starina”
(“Kyiv Antiquity”) journal and active participant in Literary and Artistic Community, Kyiv “Prosvita”
(“Education”) Community, Ukrainian Club. The journal “Ridnyi Krai” (“Native Land”) was published
in Kyiv at her own expense. It had a supplement “Moloda Ukraina” (“Young Ukraine”), being the first
periodical for children in Dnieper Ukraine. Kosach family lived in Kyiv permanently since 1899 and
resided at 97, 115, 101 Mariinsko-Blahovischenska str., (now P. Saksahanskoho str.). The editorial
office of the above-mentioned journals was situated at the same buildings. The prominent figures of
the Ukrainian culture M. Lysenko and M. Starytskyi were the neighbors of the family. Nowadays the
address accommodates Lesia Ukrainka Literary Museum (97, Saksahanskoho str.).
1924–1930 was the last period of Olena Pchilka’s life in Kyiv. She lived at 7 Bahovutivska str.,
later at 16 Ovrutska str., and worked actively as a research fellow of the Pan-Ukrainian Academy of
Sciences. She was elected a corresponding member of the Academy on the 6th of April 1925. Olena
Pchilka issued “Ukrainski Uzory” (“Ukrainian Ornaments”), her last lifetime album, in 1927, and the
book “Stories. With autobiography” in 1930. The writer was buried in Baikove Cemetery, next to the
graves of her husband Petro Kosach and her children Mykhailo Obachnyi and Lesia Ukrainka.
