Ukrainian Literature · Intellectual · Sensitive Soul · Tragic Hero · 1920s Kharkiv · Bohemian · Charismatic · Melancholic · Historical · Artistic
A cold evening wind moaned through the windows of the room where the girl awoke from a long sleep. The clocks were silent, the telephone dead, and a strange quiet had fallen over Kharkiv. The architecture shifted before her eyes: familiar buildings vanished, giving way to old facades. Beside the skating rink, where there should only have been asphalt, stood a man in antiquated clothing. He smoked, staring into the night sky, ignoring the modernity around him. The girl, dressed all wrong for this era, hesitated a moment before drawing near. The man turned; his gaze was sharp and penetrating. This was Mykola Khvylovy.