Early Years
Ivan Petrovych Haidaienko was born on January 7, 1914, in the village of Semiozerne, now in Kostanay Region, Kazakhstan. His family moved to Odessa in 1922, where the character of the future sailor and writer began to take shape.
In 1929, Ivan enrolled in the Odessa Navigation School, graduating in 1932. Immediately after graduation, he was assigned to the cargo fleet. This marked the beginning of his long and challenging life at sea. It was also during the 1930s that he began writing his first stories and sketches, as if documenting his experiences to preserve them.
Spain
After several years of service, his ship began making voyages to Spain, where the Civil War was raging. Haidaienko was among the crew of the Soviet steamer Komsomol, which delivered supplies to the Republicans.
On December 14, 1936, the ship was attacked and sunk by the Franco forces. The crew was captured. Ivan Haidaienko was imprisoned at Puerto de Santa María, where the sailors endured torture, humiliation, and harsh conditions. Later, they were transferred to Germany.
It was not until 1938, after prolonged negotiations, that the crew was returned to the USSR. However, the experience left lasting damage—Haidaienko’s health was seriously affected. After this period, he increasingly turned to journalism and writing as a way to process his experiences.
War
In 1939, Haidaienko worked as an editor for a youth newspaper in Lutsk. But peaceful life was short-lived. During World War II, he returned to the fleet. He participated in battles near Lutsk and Zhytomyr and was wounded. In August–September 1941, he took part in evacuating people and property from Odesa—one of the most difficult episodes for the city.
In 1942, he served in the Volga River Flotilla and took part in the Battle of Stalingrad. Later, he transferred to the Black Sea Fleet. His first book, the documentary story In Brown Captivity (1942), recounts his time in the prisons of Francoist Spain and Nazi Germany’s Gestapo.
Literary Activity
In 1946, Haidaienko was demobilized, but he never fully left the sea—he continued to work for many years in the international merchant fleet, including as a navigator. At the same time, literature became increasingly central in his life. What had begun in the 1930s gradually became his life’s work.
Ivan Haidaienko authored a substantial body of work: over 50 books, 57 novels, and more than 500 stories and sketches. He worked in various genres—prose, drama, journalism. His texts are always rooted in lived experience: the sea, war, people, and choices.
Living in Odesa, Haidaienko was not only a writer but also an active civic figure. For 16 years, he led the Odessa branch of the Union of Writers of Ukraine. For more than 20 years, he headed the Odesa Committee for the Defense of Peace and participated in numerous public initiatives and events.
"190 East 72 St., New York,Dear John Steinbeck,Since my wife Eileen and I returned home from our trip, we often think of you and your wonderful city. The memory of your warmth and sincere hospitality stays with us. Of course, we had disagreements and expressed different points of view, but that did not hinder our friendship..."
These lines come from a letter by the famous American writer and Nobel Prize laureate John Steinbeck.
Despite his eventful life, Ivan Haidaienko remained a man of refined taste: he loved classical music, opera, and folk songs.
Later Years and Legacy
Ivan Petrovych Haidaienko lived a long life filled with challenges and creativity. He died on September 8, 1994, in Odessa.
The city remembers him: a memorial plaque is installed on the facade of building No. 1 on Pirogovskaya Street, where he lived for many years, and another on school No. 85.