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Scarce Ukrainian translation of George Orwell's classic book: КОЛГОСП ТВАРИН [Animal Farm] by George Orwell, translated by Ivan Cherniatynskyi (pseudonym for Ihor Ševčenko). First Ukrainian edition. Munich: Prometheus, 1947. Softcover with bright pictorial graphic by M. Grigoriev, 6 x 8.25, 91 pages. This early translation of Animal Farm carries a special six-page introduction by Orwell, discussing his early life, experiences in the Spanish Civil War, his views on Stalinism and the Soviet regime, and his belief in the Socialist movement. His remarks conclude with an explanation of the genesis of Animal Farm (translated): "On my return from Spain I thought of exposing the Soviet myth in a story that could easily be understood by almost anyone and which could be easily translated into other languages…One day…I saw a little boy, perhaps ten years old, driving a huge cart-horse along a narrow path, whipping it whenever it tried to turn. It struck me that if only such animals became aware of their strength we should have no power over them, and that men exploit animals in much the same way as the rich exploit the proletariat" (see: George Orwell: A Bibliography by Gillian Fenwick, p. 97). Book condition: VG/None.
Provenance: Lot 157, Sotheby's, July 9, 2019.
