Sign in with Facebook
more photos (2)
Володимир’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Володимир’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
Володимир Шабля’s Followers (2)
Володимир hasn't connected with his friends on Goodreads, yet.
Володимир Шабля
Goodreads Author
Born
in Dnipro, Ukraine
Website
Twitter
Genre
Member Since
May 2023
URL
https://www.goodreads.com/shablia
To ask
Володимир Шабля
questions,
please sign up.
Popular Answered Questions
More books by Володимир Шабля…
Володимир’s Recent Updates
|
Володимир Шабля
shared
a
quote
“1920… Chaos.
A chaos brewed from fear, lawlessness, constant changes of power, civil war, and disease. The Red Commissars with their grain requisitions. The White Guards with arrogant imperial plunder. Makhno’s forces with anarchist expropriations and the division of everything and everyone. The gangs of Hryhoriev, Marusia, and countless others… Each with its own rules. Yet all of them take and kill, rape and rob. In Tomakivka, only one institution functioned reliably – the hospital. It was needed by every warring authority, every general and ataman: the wounded had to be treated, the sick healed, and the able-bodied fed and given shelter. — Volodymyr Shablia, Stone. Book One Context note: Set in Ukraine during the Civil War (1917–1921), at the time of the Ukrainian People’s Republic, when multiple armed forces – Red, White, anarchist, and local warlord groups — fought for control, leaving civilians trapped in a landscape of violence, lawlessness, and disease.” Володимир Шабля |
|
|
Володимир Шабля
shared
a
quote
“The most effective move would be to send the tanks with infantry west of Bolshaya Belozerka” Commander Smirnov proposed. “Enemy units there are nearly destroyed — we could threaten a real encirclement.”
“That won’t be possible,” the chief of staff objected. “A combat order has just arrived from фронт headquarters: the 15th Tank Brigade, the 530th Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment, and the 30th Cavalry Division are are redeployed to support the 12th Army near Pavlograd, where the situation is critical.” Smirnov turned pale, then his eyes filled with blood. “Damn it!” he slammed his fist on the table. “We needed just two more days. Without tanks now, we’re helpless. — Volodymyr Shablia, Stone. Book Two Context note: In 1941, rigid bureaucracy and centralized command in the Red Army often prevented commanders from exploiting battlefield opportunities. Delays, reassignments, and fear of independent decisions frequently led to disastrous outcomes.” Володимир Шабля |
|
|
Володимир Шабля
shared
a
quote
“That’s how we’ve ended up,” Ivan said with a bitter smile. “We work, as in the proverb: Enough trading, father — there’s no change left to give.
‘Why did they suddenly increase the grain procurement plan?’ Vasyl protested. ‘Everything seems the same — but it isn’t,’ Danylo explained. ‘The status of our land has changed, and so has the status of the collective farmers. What grew last year is now taxed differently. Even the poor peasants who joined the collective are no longer considered poor — and the taxes rise accordingly.’ ‘Clever,’ Ivan muttered angrily. ‘They’ve laid out their accounting traps well.’ — Volodymyr Shablia, Stone. Book Two Context note: In Soviet collective farms, taxes and grain quotas were often increased not because of real agricultural growth, but due to bureaucratic reclassification. Accounting became a tool of pressure that made normal farming impossible.” Володимир Шабля |
|
|
|
|
Jan 16, 2026 12:06AM
|
|
|
Володимир Шабля
answered
Goodreads's
question:
The plot of the book could be based on my own experience when my soul left my body. After that, my soul was faced with a choice: either fly to a beautiful silver light radiating unearthly love, or return to my body, which is so dear and close to me.
See Full Answer
|
|
|
Володимир Шабля
rated a book it was amazing
|
|
| The childhood and teenage years of the main character, as well as the vicissitudes of survival of his family members in conditions of violence and state pressure in the early 1930s and during the hostilities of the Second World War are described. The ...more | |
|
Володимир Шабля
rated a book it was amazing
|
|
|
Володимир Шабля
rated a book it was amazing
|
|
| The third book of the novel "The Stone" is devoted to the unfulfilled hopes of people who lived in the USSR in the 1930s and 1940s: their faith in God turned into the destruction of churches, collectivization into the Holodomor, and the hope for a be ...more | |
|
Володимир Шабля
finished reading
|
|
“– Independent farmers are arrested and deported somewhere to the Urals or Siberia. I fear we may be the next to be labeled ‘kulaks’.
— Volodymyr Shablia, Stone. Book Two
Context note: During the forced collectivization in the USSR, millions of peasants were forcibly deported to remote regions such as Siberia and the Urals as part of state repression against on wealthy peasants (nicknamed "kulaks" by the Soviet authorities).”
― Камень. Биографический роман. Книга вторая. Непростые дороги в ад: Выживание в условиях насилия
— Volodymyr Shablia, Stone. Book Two
Context note: During the forced collectivization in the USSR, millions of peasants were forcibly deported to remote regions such as Siberia and the Urals as part of state repression against on wealthy peasants (nicknamed "kulaks" by the Soviet authorities).”
― Камень. Биографический роман. Книга вторая. Непростые дороги в ад: Выживание в условиях насилия
“As soon as Peter took off his coat and saw what his grandmother had cooked, he ran straight to the table and climbed into ‘his’ place – a large, sturdy wooden armchair with a small stool set on top of it.
He bit eagerly into the pasty, taking large mouthfuls and greedily washing them down with milk. At one moment, the boy moved a little too abruptly, and a thin stream of warm milk escaped from the corner of his mouth, slid between cheek and chin, slipped under his collar, and disappeared on his chest, gently warming his skin. Peter wiped the spilled milk with his sleeve, took another pasty – then another, and another…
Years later, this moment – so full of bright childhood sensations – would return to him night after night, haunting the hungry Peter, tormenting both soul and body in his sleep. Repeated endlessly, the dream would turn into suffering – a symbol of doom and unrealized hopes. And even within this seemingly kind dream, a Damoclean sword would hang over his mind: the impossibility, the futility of ever turning it into reality.
— Volodymyr Shablia, Stone. Book Two
Context note: A memory of warmth, abundance, and family love that later becomes a recurring dream for a starving prisoner. The contrast reveals how childhood comfort turns into psychological torment under hunger and repression.”
― Камінь. Біографічний роман. Книга друга. Непрості дороги до пекла: Виживання в умовах насильства.
He bit eagerly into the pasty, taking large mouthfuls and greedily washing them down with milk. At one moment, the boy moved a little too abruptly, and a thin stream of warm milk escaped from the corner of his mouth, slid between cheek and chin, slipped under his collar, and disappeared on his chest, gently warming his skin. Peter wiped the spilled milk with his sleeve, took another pasty – then another, and another…
Years later, this moment – so full of bright childhood sensations – would return to him night after night, haunting the hungry Peter, tormenting both soul and body in his sleep. Repeated endlessly, the dream would turn into suffering – a symbol of doom and unrealized hopes. And even within this seemingly kind dream, a Damoclean sword would hang over his mind: the impossibility, the futility of ever turning it into reality.
— Volodymyr Shablia, Stone. Book Two
Context note: A memory of warmth, abundance, and family love that later becomes a recurring dream for a starving prisoner. The contrast reveals how childhood comfort turns into psychological torment under hunger and repression.”
― Камінь. Біографічний роман. Книга друга. Непрості дороги до пекла: Виживання в умовах насильства.
“1920… Chaos.
A chaos brewed from fear, lawlessness, constant changes of power, civil war, and disease.
The Red Commissars with their grain requisitions.
The White Guards with arrogant imperial plunder.
Makhno’s forces with anarchist expropriations and the division of everything and everyone.
The gangs of Hryhoriev, Marusia, and countless others…
Each with its own rules.
Yet all of them take and kill, rape and rob.
In Tomakivka, only one institution functioned reliably – the hospital.
It was needed by every warring authority, every general and ataman:
the wounded had to be treated, the sick healed,
and the able-bodied fed and given shelter.
— Volodymyr Shablia, Stone. Book One
Context note: Set in Ukraine during the Civil War (1917–1921), at the time of the Ukrainian People’s Republic, when multiple armed forces – Red, White, anarchist, and local warlord groups — fought for control, leaving civilians trapped in a landscape of violence, lawlessness, and disease.”
―
A chaos brewed from fear, lawlessness, constant changes of power, civil war, and disease.
The Red Commissars with their grain requisitions.
The White Guards with arrogant imperial plunder.
Makhno’s forces with anarchist expropriations and the division of everything and everyone.
The gangs of Hryhoriev, Marusia, and countless others…
Each with its own rules.
Yet all of them take and kill, rape and rob.
In Tomakivka, only one institution functioned reliably – the hospital.
It was needed by every warring authority, every general and ataman:
the wounded had to be treated, the sick healed,
and the able-bodied fed and given shelter.
— Volodymyr Shablia, Stone. Book One
Context note: Set in Ukraine during the Civil War (1917–1921), at the time of the Ukrainian People’s Republic, when multiple armed forces – Red, White, anarchist, and local warlord groups — fought for control, leaving civilians trapped in a landscape of violence, lawlessness, and disease.”
―
“1920… Chaos.
A chaos brewed from fear, lawlessness, constant changes of power, civil war, and disease.
The Red Commissars with their grain requisitions.
The White Guards with arrogant imperial plunder.
Makhno’s forces with anarchist expropriations and the division of everything and everyone.
The gangs of Hryhoriev, Marusia, and countless others…
Each with its own rules.
Yet all of them take and kill, rape and rob.
In Tomakivka, only one institution functioned reliably – the hospital.
It was needed by every warring authority, every general and ataman:
the wounded had to be treated, the sick healed,
and the able-bodied fed and given shelter.
— Volodymyr Shablia, Stone. Book One
Context note: Set in Ukraine during the Civil War (1917–1921), at the time of the Ukrainian People’s Republic, when multiple armed forces – Red, White, anarchist, and local warlord groups — fought for control, leaving civilians trapped in a landscape of violence, lawlessness, and disease.”
―
A chaos brewed from fear, lawlessness, constant changes of power, civil war, and disease.
The Red Commissars with their grain requisitions.
The White Guards with arrogant imperial plunder.
Makhno’s forces with anarchist expropriations and the division of everything and everyone.
The gangs of Hryhoriev, Marusia, and countless others…
Each with its own rules.
Yet all of them take and kill, rape and rob.
In Tomakivka, only one institution functioned reliably – the hospital.
It was needed by every warring authority, every general and ataman:
the wounded had to be treated, the sick healed,
and the able-bodied fed and given shelter.
— Volodymyr Shablia, Stone. Book One
Context note: Set in Ukraine during the Civil War (1917–1921), at the time of the Ukrainian People’s Republic, when multiple armed forces – Red, White, anarchist, and local warlord groups — fought for control, leaving civilians trapped in a landscape of violence, lawlessness, and disease.”
―
“That’s how we’ve ended up,” Ivan said with a bitter smile. “We work, as in the proverb: Enough trading, father — there’s no change left to give.
‘Why did they suddenly increase the grain procurement plan?’ Vasyl protested.
‘Everything seems the same — but it isn’t,’ Danylo explained. ‘The status of our land has changed, and so has the status of the collective farmers. What grew last year is now taxed differently. Even the poor peasants who joined the collective are no longer considered poor — and the taxes rise accordingly.’
‘Clever,’ Ivan muttered angrily. ‘They’ve laid out their accounting traps well.’
— Volodymyr Shablia, Stone. Book Two
Context note: In Soviet collective farms, taxes and grain quotas were often increased not because of real agricultural growth, but due to bureaucratic reclassification. Accounting became a tool of pressure that made normal farming impossible.”
― Камінь. Біографічний роман. Книга друга. Непрості дороги до пекла: Виживання в умовах насильства.
‘Why did they suddenly increase the grain procurement plan?’ Vasyl protested.
‘Everything seems the same — but it isn’t,’ Danylo explained. ‘The status of our land has changed, and so has the status of the collective farmers. What grew last year is now taxed differently. Even the poor peasants who joined the collective are no longer considered poor — and the taxes rise accordingly.’
‘Clever,’ Ivan muttered angrily. ‘They’ve laid out their accounting traps well.’
— Volodymyr Shablia, Stone. Book Two
Context note: In Soviet collective farms, taxes and grain quotas were often increased not because of real agricultural growth, but due to bureaucratic reclassification. Accounting became a tool of pressure that made normal farming impossible.”
― Камінь. Біографічний роман. Книга друга. Непрості дороги до пекла: Виживання в умовах насильства.
“On that winter afternoon, the two boys hurried outside right after lunch, pulling enormous sleds that seemed almost larger than themselves.
As they climbed the hill, they kept dodging sleds rushing past, packed with people of all ages. Most were children and teenagers, but there were also young adults and even respectable grown villagers.
Sometimes grandparents came too, ‘to remember the old days.’ They rode together with their children or grandchildren, letting the younger ones steer. And after reaching the bottom – or tumbling halfway down – the ‘veterans’ laughed, shouted, and squealed with joy no less than the children.
— Volodymyr Shablia, Stone. Book Two
Context note: A happy moment of childhood joy and community life in a rural Ukrainian village – a reminder that even under repression, warmth and memory endured.”
― Камень. Биографический роман. Книга вторая. Непростые дороги в ад: Выживание в условиях насилия
As they climbed the hill, they kept dodging sleds rushing past, packed with people of all ages. Most were children and teenagers, but there were also young adults and even respectable grown villagers.
Sometimes grandparents came too, ‘to remember the old days.’ They rode together with their children or grandchildren, letting the younger ones steer. And after reaching the bottom – or tumbling halfway down – the ‘veterans’ laughed, shouted, and squealed with joy no less than the children.
— Volodymyr Shablia, Stone. Book Two
Context note: A happy moment of childhood joy and community life in a rural Ukrainian village – a reminder that even under repression, warmth and memory endured.”
― Камень. Биографический роман. Книга вторая. Непростые дороги в ад: Выживание в условиях насилия
“Peter had only just graduated with honors from the Zaporizhzhia Pedagogical Institute and was supposed to leave for his first teaching job the very next day. Instead, he was arrested.
For what sins was a student obsessed with honesty punished — a young man who had risen from the very bottom of society and sincerely believed in the socialist ideal? His parents did not know. Peter himself did not know either. He believed what had happened was a terrible mistake and hoped it would soon be corrected.
— Volodymyr Shablia, Stone. Book Two
Context note: In the Stalinist USSR, arrests often struck young, loyal, and idealistic citizens. Many believed their detention was a bureaucratic error — until the machinery of repression proved otherwise.”
― Камінь. Біографічний роман. Книга друга. Непрості дороги до пекла: Виживання в умовах насильства.
For what sins was a student obsessed with honesty punished — a young man who had risen from the very bottom of society and sincerely believed in the socialist ideal? His parents did not know. Peter himself did not know either. He believed what had happened was a terrible mistake and hoped it would soon be corrected.
— Volodymyr Shablia, Stone. Book Two
Context note: In the Stalinist USSR, arrests often struck young, loyal, and idealistic citizens. Many believed their detention was a bureaucratic error — until the machinery of repression proved otherwise.”
― Камінь. Біографічний роман. Книга друга. Непрості дороги до пекла: Виживання в умовах насильства.
“The most effective move would be to send the tanks with infantry west of Bolshaya Belozerka” Commander Smirnov proposed. “Enemy units there are nearly destroyed — we could threaten a real encirclement.”
“That won’t be possible,” the chief of staff objected. “A combat order has just arrived from фронт headquarters: the 15th Tank Brigade, the 530th Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment, and the 30th Cavalry Division are are redeployed to support the 12th Army near Pavlograd, where the situation is critical.”
Smirnov turned pale, then his eyes filled with blood. “Damn it!” he slammed his fist on the table. “We needed just two more days. Without tanks now, we’re helpless.
— Volodymyr Shablia, Stone. Book Two
Context note: In 1941, rigid bureaucracy and centralized command in the Red Army often prevented commanders from exploiting battlefield opportunities. Delays, reassignments, and fear of independent decisions frequently led to disastrous outcomes.”
― Камень. Биографический роман. Книга вторая. Непростые дороги в ад: Выживание в условиях насилия
“That won’t be possible,” the chief of staff objected. “A combat order has just arrived from фронт headquarters: the 15th Tank Brigade, the 530th Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment, and the 30th Cavalry Division are are redeployed to support the 12th Army near Pavlograd, where the situation is critical.”
Smirnov turned pale, then his eyes filled with blood. “Damn it!” he slammed his fist on the table. “We needed just two more days. Without tanks now, we’re helpless.
— Volodymyr Shablia, Stone. Book Two
Context note: In 1941, rigid bureaucracy and centralized command in the Red Army often prevented commanders from exploiting battlefield opportunities. Delays, reassignments, and fear of independent decisions frequently led to disastrous outcomes.”
― Камень. Биографический роман. Книга вторая. Непростые дороги в ад: Выживание в условиях насилия
Ukrainian literature
— 1137 members
— last activity Jan 05, 2026 05:30AM
[EN] Ukrainian literature encompasses literature written in Ukrainian language. Unfortunately, even in the beginning of the 21st century, Ukrainian l ...more
Modern Ukrainian Literature
— 370 members
— last activity Dec 31, 2025 12:05AM
Ukrainian bestsellers discussion
The History Book Club
— 25844 members
— last activity 10 hours, 24 min ago
"Interested in history - then you have found the right group". The History Book Club is the largest history and nonfiction group on Goodread ...more
Discovering Russian Literature
— 2999 members
— last activity Oct 20, 2025 06:59AM
Whether you are a newbie or an expert or simply love Russian literature... Welcome! This is a friendly group where you can share your thoughts an ...more
Goodreads Authors/Readers
— 55881 members
— last activity 3 hours, 35 min ago
This group is dedicated to connecting readers with Goodreads authors. It is divided by genres, and includes folders for writing resources, book websit ...more
