Jaroslaw Iwaszkiewicz, one of the prominent Polish writers of the 20th century, was born and raised in Ukraine, spending over two decades there and studying in Yelysavethrad and Kyiv.
In the Iwaszkiewicz family, a strong artistic atmosphere prevailed, and literature and art were highly valued. His father was not confined to provincial life and constantly sought to maintain connections with the wider world.
His happy childhood ended early. In 1902, his father died, leaving the family without means of support. His mother initially moved to Warsaw, hoping for better opportunities, but returned to Ukraine two years later and settled in Yelysavethrad (now Kropyvnytskyi). There, the family lived with relatives, including the Shimanowski family, from which the future composer Karol Szymanowski came. The older Karol, twelve years his senior, had a decisive influence on young Jarosław, discouraging him from pursuing music—a decision that ultimately directed him toward literature.
Financial difficulties forced Iwaszkiewicz to earn money from the age of fifteen by tutoring. He traveled to many Ukrainian cities, working as a teacher for children of the landed gentry.
In 1909, he moved to Kyiv, which at the time had around 45,000 Poles—about one-sixth of the city’s population. Iwaszkiewicz lived in Kyiv for nine years, studying law at Saint Vladimir University and beginning his literary career. His poetic debut, the sonnet Lilith (1905), was published in the Polish-language Kyiv periodical Pióro.
A different impression on him came from his visit to Odesa in the summer of 1918, where he wished to meet composer Karol Szymanowski (also born in Ukraine). As relatives, they planned to collaborate on the opera King Roger. The Polish musician lived at the Davidov villa on Serednyi Fontan, on the Black Sea coast.
"Of course, I knew good Odesa from stories, from relatives and acquaintances living there, and street names like Rishelievska, Deribasivska, and Lanzheronivska stayed in my memory. I lived in Yelysavethrad and studied at the Yelysavethrad gymnasium from 1904 to 1909. Yelysavethrad was, so to speak, within Odesa’s sphere of influence, with many residents from Odesa and its press. I also knew the family of Yuriy Olesha there before they moved to Odesa..."
During Iwaszkiewicz’s stay, Odesa fell under German occupation. He reflected these events in The Book of My Memories and in Meetings with Szymanowski. Thirty years later, he revisited the theme in the epic Glory and Honor (1956–1962), portraying Odesa during key historical moments from 1914 onwards, ending with the Stalinist terror of the late 1930s.
The tragic events led Iwaszkiewicz to leave Ukraine for Poland at the end of 1918. In July 1958, after nearly forty years, he visited the village of Kalnyk in Vinnytsia region, where he was born.
Memories of his childhood and youth in Ukraine accompanied Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz throughout his long life—he lived to the age of 86.

Yaroslav Ivashkevych at the age of 20 with his dog Nils, 1914, photo from the archives of the Museum in Stavysk/FOTONOVA