Velychkovsky, Ivan

Velychkovsky, Ivan [Величковський, Іван; Velyčkovs’kyj], b ?, d 1726. Poet and archpriest of Poltava. He wrote Virshi het’manovi Samoilovychevi (Poems for Hetman Ivan Samoilovych) and two manuscript collections of Ukrainian poetry, ‘Zegar ...’ (Clock ..., 1690) and ‘Mleko ...’ (Milk ..., 1691). His complex and intricate poetic works, including numerous epigrams, acrostics, and emblems, ably capture the stylistic qualities of the baroque era. He also wrote panegyrics in Polish and Latin, some on the subject of Lazar Baranovych (published in Chernihiv ca 1680–3). His works were erroneously attributed (by Mykola Petrov) to his brother Lavrentii, but subsequent scholars (Volodymyr Peretts, Dmytro Chyzhevsky) rectified the mistake. A full collection of his unpublished poetry was published in 1972.

[This article originally appeared in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, vol. 5 (1993).]