Kohut, Lev

Kohut, Lev, b 7 February 1878 in Monastyryska, Bukovyna, d 26 October 1947 in Graz, Austria. Lawyer; political and co-operative leader; journalist and publisher. In 1902–3 he edited publications of the Revolutionary Ukrainian party in Chernivtsi: the journal Haslo and the monthly Selianyn, and various brochures. In 1903 he became the first director of the Selianska Kasa association of Ukrainian Raiffeisen co-operatives for farmers in Bukovyna, which he had founded with Stepan Smal-Stotsky. At the same time he edited a number of books in its book series. A founding member of the Ukrainian People's Organization of Bukovyna (1922–7), he edited its newspaper Ridnyi krai (Chernivtsi) (1926–30). Then he served as vice-president of the Ukrainian National party (1927–38) and editor of the daily Chas (Chernivtsi) (1932–40). Sentenced to death by the Soviets in 1940, he was released eventually and emigrated to Austria, where he lectured at the Slavic Institute of Graz University. Kohut wrote numerous articles on economic and cultural topics and planned a four-volume study, Ukraïna i moskovs’kyi imperiializm (Ukraine and Muscovite Imperialism), of which he published only the first volume in 1916.