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Mykhaïlo Kotsioubynsky: Les Chevaux de feu. Editions Noir sur Blanc, 2022. 96 pages • 14 Euros • 20 CHF

Traduit de l’ukrainien et préfacé par Jean-Claude Marcadé. Collection La bibliothèque de Dimitri Première édition : L’Âge d’Homme, 2001 Traduction revue et corrigée

Ivan et Maritchka, enfants de deux familles ennemies, s’aiment d’un amour interdit par la société traditionnelle des Houtsoules des Carpates. La tragédie de leur destinée – la mort accidentelle de Maritchka, puis celle d’Ivan envoûté par le sorcier épris de sa seconde femme – est restituée dans tout ce qu’elle a de mythologique, dans un monde où les puissances primitives coexistent avec une humanité mi-animiste mi-chrétienne.

Les Chevaux de feu, récit mêlant l’ethnographie au symbolisme, mais aussi l’un des premiers romans modernes ukrainiens, a inspiré le célèbre film de Sergueï Paradjanov.

Mykhaïlo Kotsioubynsky (1864-1913) est l’une des grandes figures de la littérature impressionniste et moderniste ukrainienne.

La critique du livre à lire ici. 

About the author

Nadia Sikorsky

Nadia Sikorsky grew up in Moscow where she obtained a master's degree in journalism and a doctorate in history from Moscow State University. After 13 years at UNESCO, in Paris and then in Geneva, and having served as director of communications at Green Cross International founded by Mikhail Gorbachev, she developed NashaGazeta.ch, the first online Russian-language daily newspaper, launched in 2007.

In 2022, she found herself among those who, according to Le Temps editorial board, "significantly contributed to the success of French-speaking Switzerland," thus appearing among opinion makers and economic, political, scientific and cultural leaders: the Forum of 100.

After 18 years leading NashaGazeta.ch, Nadia Sikorsky decided to return to her roots and focus on what truly fascinates her: culture in all its diversity. This decision took the form of this trilingual cultural blog (Russian, English, French) born in the heart of Europe – in Switzerland, her adopted country, the country distinguished by its multiculturalism and multilingualism.

Nadia Sikorsky does not present herself as a "Russian voice," but as the voice of a European of Russian origin (more than 35 years in Europe, 25 years spent in Switzerland) with the benefit of more than 30 years of professional experience in the cultural world at the international level. She positions herself as a cultural mediator between Russian and European traditions; the title of the blog, "The Russian Accent," captures this essence – the accent being not a linguistic barrier, not a political position but a distinctive cultural imprint in the European context.

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