BIOGRAPHY

DMITRI MIKHAILOVICH MOGILYANSKY
Ukrainian poet, writer of short stories, journalist, translator.
10.02. (28.01.) 1901, Chernigov — 28.02.1938, Moscow region.

Literary pseudonym:
Dmitro Tas’

Parents:
Father — Mikhail Mikhailovich Mogilyansky (1873 - 1942) - Ukrainian and Russian writer and publicist, journalist, translator, literary scholar and critic, lawyer, public figure; Mother — Alexandra Alexeevna Sitenskaya (1873 - 1932) - teacher.

Siblings:
Lydia (Ladya) Mogilyanskaya (1899 - 1937), Elena Mogliyanskaya (1905 - 1998), Irina Mogilyanskaya-Safyan (1911 - 1987).

Key Biographical Details:
1918 — a selection of his poems was first published in “Chernigovskaya Zemskaya Gazeta”.
1919 — completed studies at the Chernigov gymnasium. Began work at the Chernigov paper “Comunistichna Borot’ba”.
Beginning in 1921, he worked at the Chernigov paper “Krasnoye Znamya”.
1919 - 1925 — a period of literary activity in Chernigov resulting in numerous publications of his poems and stories in anthologies printed in Kiev, Kharkiv, and Chernigov - “Golod”, “Kvartaly”, in periodicals - “Zhittya i revolyutsiya”, “Globus”, “Nova gromada”, LNM (a supplement of the paper “Visti”), “Vsesvit”, “Kino”, “Literaturny yarmarok”, “Chervonyi shlyakh”, “Selyans’ke zhittya”, “Literatura, nauka, mistetstvo”, “Chernigivs’ka zems’ka gazeta”, “Kooperatsiya golodayushchim”, “Chernigivshchina”, “Zorya” (Dnepropetrovsk) and many others. His poem “Aglaya” was published. During this time he completed his studies at the Chernigov Pedagogical Institute.
1922 — married Pelagaya Grigorievna Sotnik (1899 - ????), a teacher. His only child, a son Yarema, was born in 1923. In 1941, Yarema was drafted into the field forces and in that same year (some sources say 1942) was lost without a trace.
1925 - 1930 — moved to and found work in Kiev while continuing active journalistic and literary activity, publishing new collections of poetry, and writing the poem “Kolgospna osin”. His collections of short stories, “Vedmedi tantsyuyut” (1927), and “Sad” (1930) were published. He also published a translation (with M. T. Ryl’sky) of Anton Chekkhov’s “Selected Works” in 1930.
1930 — married Agnessa Mikkhailovna Umanska (1907 - 1985), an artist.
1930 - 1935 — moved to and found work in Kharkiv. His journalism was published in papers and journals: “Proletars’ka Pravda”, “Znannya”, “Pioneriya”, “Socialistichna Kharkivshchina”, and by the publisher “Radyans’ka shkola”, and there were new publications of his poetry and stories. His collection of poetry titled “Chornyi parus” was made ready for printing but left unpublished. The best of his works were included in volume III of the anthology “Ukrains’ka poeziya” published by “Knigospilka” (1931). He became a member of the organization “Masterskaya revolyutsionnogo slova” made up of Ukrainian writers and poets. Following the relocation of the publisher “Radyans’ka shkola” to Kiev at the end of 1934 he was left without work.
1935 — February - on the invitation of his sister Lydia, he moved to Dmitrov, Moscow region, and began work in the cultural-educational section (KVO) of the Dmitrov labour camp as a literary worker for the paper “Moskva - Volga”. In September 1935 he left and returned to Kharkiv.
1935 - 1937 — worked at the paper “Socialistichna Kharkivshchina” under the pseudonym Dmitro Tas’. After his sister Lydia was arrested and sentenced in Moscow in June, 1937, he came under the watch of the 3rd section of the Dmitrov labour camp NKVD.
1938 — 30 January - arrested in Kharkiv and incarcerated in the Dmitrov labour camp prison in the city of Dmitrov. On 25 February, he was sentenced by a triumvirate of the NKVD, Moscow region, to be shot on charges of “active nationalistic and counterrevolutionary work in Ukraine.” The sentence was carried out in Moscow region on 28 February, 1938. Place of burial: Moscow region, Butovsky firing range (mass grave).

Rehabilitation:
14 March, 1958.