LIFETIME EDITIONS OF IVAN KARPENKO-KARY’S OEUVRES IN THE COLLECTIONS OF THE SCIENTIFIC LIBRARY OF THE ODESSA I. I. MECHNIKOV NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

Abstract

The article dedicated to the 175th anniversary of the birth of Ivan Karpovich Tobilevich (1845–1907) is devoted to the study of lifetime editions of his oeuvres, which are stored in the collections of the Scientific Library of the Odessa I. I. Mechnikov National University. During twenty years of literary activities, he wrote 18 original plays published under a literary and stage name «Karpenko-Kary». Lifetime editions of his writings are of the most interest for bibliophiles and book scholars.The article reviews the provenance of the copies of lifetime editions of I. KarpenkoKary’s works including a story «Rookie» (1881), first published under a pseudonym, a drama «Who is to blame?» (1886), plays «The Handmaid» (1887) and «Sava Chaly» (1899), as well as a «Collection of Dramatic Works» (1886) and a fivevolume collection «Dramas and Comedies» (1897–1905) being the most complete lifetime publication of I. Karpenko-Kary’s oeuvres.University copies of the lifetime editions of I. Karpenko-Kary’s writings can be considered as vivid evidence of historical events of the first half of the 20th century, revealing the origin and development of such Ukrainian societies and associations as «Enlightenment», «Ukrainian House», «Odessa Ukrainian National Library», «Odessa Ukrainian Club», «Gubsoyuz», etc. in the city of Odessa. Collectors of Ukrainian books G. I. Shevchenko and G. I. Semesko are still almost unknown. However, the very existence of their libraries is proved by stamps and handwritten inscriptions on copies of University books showing further perspectives of their special research.