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Yarema Polotnyuk, a Ukrainian Oriental scientist working at Ukrainian translations of Koran meanings, died 22.08.2012, and was buried by Muslim ritual on August 24, 2012, in Lvov, on the 21st anniversary of the Ukrainian independence.

Translation of Koran meanings made by Yarema Polotnyuk is the first attempt to offer a Ukrainian language reader a chance to acquaint with Koran ayahs translated from the Arabic original rather than from a translated copy. The Oriental scientist was working on it in soviet times, and he adopted Islam in 50s, in the era of dominating “scientific atheism”.

It was his initiative that led to opening of the cathedra for Oriental studies at the Lvov University in 1997, which, since then, has been successfully performing and training professionals in the field. He supervised the cathedra till his death, which has been by now the only center for Oriental studies in the Western Ukraine.

He collaborated with Ukrainian Muslim organizations. Thus, he took part in the round table in Lvov, organized by the All-Ukrainian Association of Public Organizations (AAPO) “Alraid” and the All-Ukrainian Center for Islamic Studies. Also, he participated in a series of broadcasts of the Muslim radio program “Assalamu Aleykum”, produced under “Alraid” auspices. 

Yarema Polotnyuk was born in 1935 in Kolomyya (Ivano-Frankovsk region, Western Ukraine). As early as in teenager age, he met carriers of Persian language in its Tajik branch, and he wanted to learn this language and culture more closely. Subsequently he went to Tajikistan to learn it, met there deported Crimean Tatars and grew interested in Islamic culture. He graduated from Leningrad (now S.-Petersburg) University, to which he was admitted without exams. He collaborated with A.P. Kovalevsky (Russian translator of Ibn Fadlan’s work “Walking to Volga”) who advised him to study in Leningrad. In 60-70s of the last century Ya. Polotnyuk was studying Persian literature and publishing Ukrainian translations of Rumi, Hafiz, Firdousi and Saadi. He also worked on the translation of “Thousand and One Night” and many other literary works of Arab and Persian cultures.  

The publishing office “Islam in Ukraine”, “Alraid” and the Religious Administration of Muslims of Ukraine express deep and sincere condolences to relatives, colleagues and friends of Yarema Polotnyuk, to everyone who had good fortune to contact this wonderful man. May the Most High make easy his stay in the grave and lead him to the Gardens of Paradise. May the Most High give his family strength and patience.

 

"To Allah We belong, and to Him is our return" (Koran, 2:156).