Evréinov has been felt also in the newly revived Ukrainian, or Little Russian, literature. Lésya Ukráinka gave it a depth and wealth of vocabulary it sadly needed and, by introducing the European, has countered the decadent spirit of the ultranational Ukrainians. The Babylonian Captivity, translated as an epilogue to this volume, represents the enslavement of the Ukraine by its powerful neighbours; but its style is a victory.
The translator is indebted to the Editor of The New Age for permission to reprint five of the plays in this volume. The translation of The Babylonian Captivity from the Ukrainian is due mainly to Miss Sophie Volska, of Kiev. The translations of Evréinov’s two plays, by the way, have his
authorisation. In them, as in the others, stage directions have been as far as possible omitted.
C. E. Bechhofer.
