Спогади

by Petro Hryhorenko, Петро Григоренко, Дмитро Кислиця (Translator)

Петро Григоренко. Спогади, це книга-сповідь Петра Григоренка (1907-1987) - українського та московитського генерала та героя-правозахисника, одного із засновників та членів Української гельсінської спілки та Московитської гельсінської спілки.

Ця книга - це не лише широка автобіографія досвідченої людини, а й частина неприкрашеної історії Комуністичної Московії від Першої світової війни до Другої світової війни, й аж до кінця 1970-х рр., з сотнями прізвищ людей, які визволяли боролися проти московитського тоталітаризму, відстоювали права людини, торушуючи шлях до демократії.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Russia

664 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1981

Reviews

[Gremrien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fat book of General Петро Григоренко’s memoirs. Loved it! Loved the personality of the general. I really do not understand why he is so little known among regular people. He was a beautiful and highly significant personality, especially for us, Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars. Although I think that Crimean Tatars remember, love, and respect him much more that we, Ukrainians.

However, he was an extremely important figure for all dissident and anti-Soviet movements whatsoever.

The memoirs are very interesting and detailed — he was also a really good writer that makes the atmosphere of any place and time he witnessed very lively and full of colors. I have already read part of the memoirs (about his dissident life in the later years) as they were repeated in the previous book “Генерал Петро Григоренко: Спогади, статті, матеріали” (2008). However, this book contains much more memoirs, starting from his early childhood.

Everything — including his childhood, his education, his participation in the war, his later pre-dissident life — is VERY interesting. I do recommend reading this book — it’s not only a good chance to learn about this amazing personality but also just a good memoir book, full of interesting personal and socially important stuff.

As I understand, it was originally written and published in Russian, but I have read a Ukrainian translation in paper. I have not seen such a full single book of Петро Григоренко’s memoirs in Russian, but I suppose that they are more or less covered by “В подполье можно встретить только крыс” — only watch for the edition that starts from his childhood (“Родился я 16 октября 1907 года на Украине – село Борисовка, Приморского района Запорожской области. Ребенком я себя не помню” etc.), not a shorter version that is only about his dissident activities.

I am very happy that I now have these two thick books about Петро Григоренко on my bookshelves!

[Jukka]

Grigorenko Memoirs - Petro Grigorenko.
Brilliant man, amazing story. He just couldn't do anything other than tell the straight out truth. A man of will and strength.