Ivan L. Rudnytsky

Ivan Pavlovych Lysiak-Rudnytsky (Ukrainian: Іван Павлович Лисяк-Рудницький, 27 October 1919 – 25 April 1984) was a historian of Ukrainian socio-political thought, political scientist and scholar publicist. He wrote over 200 historical essays, commentaries, and reviews, and edited several book publications. He has been praised as one of the most influential Ukrainian historians of the twentieth century. He is sometimes referred to as Ivan Łysiak-Rudnytsky, but the surname he used was his mother’s name Rudnytsky.

Personal background

Ivan Rudnytsky was born in Vienna, Austria, where his parents were residing as political refugees from Galicia, which had been invaded by Poland in the aftermath of its successful war against the West Ukrainian People's Republic (1918 – 1919). His father Pavlo Lysiak was a lawyer and his mother Milena Rudnytska was a professor and politician. Both were social and political activists from well-connected families.

Ivan grew up within the stimulating environment of the extended Rudnytsky family: Ivan Kedryn-Rudnytsky (prominent political leader and publicist of Ukrainian identity), Myhailo Rudnytsky (literary scholar, literary critic, translator), Antin Rudnytsky (conductor and composer) and Volodymyr Rudnytsky (lawyer and social activist). After his parents divorced when Ivan was 2 years old, he lived with his mother. However, his material needs to support his intellectual pursuits were taken care of, up to 1953, in large part due to his father and mother’s financial help.