Sonia Kulykivna and Sofia Kulykivna: identification problem

Abstract

The biographical facts and creative activity of translator Sofia Kulykivna and film manager and editor Sonia Kulykivna have been studied in detail on the basis of archival documents, biographical dictionaries, and articles in the press. The latest research and publications about Sofia (Sonia) Kulykivna have been elaborated. A comparative analysis of this information has been carried out and it’s been found that Sofia Kulykivna and Sonia Kulykivna have different dates and places of birth, parents’ names and marital status. The version that these are different personalities, who were mistakenly united by modern researchers into one figure, has been finally confirmed. Both general scientific methods (deduction, induction, analysis, synthesis) and special scientific methods (hypothetical-scientific, biographical, study of archival documents) have been used to carry out the research. The found texts (translations and publications) signed by Kulykivna have been analyzed and a clear trend has been witnessed: the translator always signed herself as Sofia Kulykivna, and the editor and film manager – as Sonia Kulykivna. The biography of Sofia Kulykivna (Kulyk-Mykytiyk) has been presented, her translation activity and cooperation with the Lviv press have been described. Biographical facts about Sonia Kulykivna have been highlighted, her photo was found, her journalistic and editorial-publishing activities have been disclosed, her pseudonyms have been given. It is noted that Sonia Kulykivna’s fate after 1935 is unknown and requires additional scientific research. It is summarized that archival documents and materials from family archives played a key role in verifying the version about the existence of two Kulykivna’s namesakes in the interwar space of Galicia. Both were realized in the media space of interwar Galicia, which caused confusion and the intertwining of their life and creative facts into a joint biography. It is emphasized that the unique creative path of each of them encourages its more thorough study. Keywords: Sonia Kulykivna, Sofia Kulykivna, biography, periodical, translation, cinema.