Les Podervianskyi

His mother was the art historian Lyudmyla Milyayeva.^[4] In 1968, he graduated from the Republican Art School in Kyiv.^[5]

In 1976, he graduated from the Kyiv Art Institute (specialty: easel and monumental painting, graphics, theatrical painting).^[5]

Podervianskyi wrote most of his works in the Soviet Union in the mid to late 1980s, the so-called Era of Stagnation in politics and social life—the era of "zastoy" and the time of rapid changes in consciousness. He observed the people in that situation, their reactions and behaviour. And most thoroughly he watched the speech patterns of outsiders and commoners, people from the country. The author places common people in grotesque absurd situations and shows how they would act and speak much the same regardless of what happens.

Podervianskyi's works are highly regarded owing to his attention to detail. Many behavioural modes are easily recognizable, and people are able to recognize themselves in the plays. The general absurdity of the situation makes the characters' absurd actions more acceptable, and although certain phrases the author uses are politically incorrect, his humour is generally neutral.

Podervianskyi says he draws a lot of his inspiration from the years of his army service. There is also an opinion that his plays are in some way inspired by works of Samuel Beckett.^[3] This writer was favorite also for his friend artist Nicholas Zalevsky.

Member of the Union of Artists of Ukraine since 1980.^[6]

Podervianskyi's works have often been criticized because of his use of vulgar unprintable language. They are written mostly in Surzhyk and include much swearing and obscenities, which make them appear as if they were composed by an uneducated person. Often it seems that the only reason one would read the works is for their comic impact and to hear creative swearing. But this is not the case. The numerous citations from Shakespeare, Nietzsche, Taoism and dzen buddhism philosophers give the idea of several intellectual layers in his works. Although a number of Podervianskyi's expressions have entered Ukrainian slang, he uses crude language to show the flaws and grotesqueness of his characters. Podervianskyi carefully matches up language with his characters. Thus a self-made intellectual spouts scientific-sounding nonsense, while more "straightforward" characters use simple words to express complex things.

Because Podervianskyi's works are known primarily in the form of audio recordings of the author's recitals, his voice adds extra dramatic effect to the text.

• Tainstviennyi Ambal – Таінствєнний амбал
• Hamlet – Гамлєт, або феномен датського кацапізму
• Pavlik Morozov – Павлік Морозов
• Pizdets – Піздєц
• Khuinia – Хуйня
• Katsapy – Кацапи
• Danko – Данко
• Tsikavi Doslidy – Цікаві досліди
• Patsavata Istoriia – Пацавата історія
• Heroi Nashoho Chasu – Герой нашого часу
• Vasilisa Yehorovna i Muzhychki – Васіліса Єгоровна і мужичкі
• Mistse vstriechi izmienit nizzia, bliad – Місце встрєчі ізмєніть ніззя, блядь
• Ostanovis mhnovienie ty prekasno – Остановісь мгновєніє ти прєкрсно
• Utopia – Утопія
• Snoby – Сноби
• Khvoroba Ivasyka – Хвороба Івасика
• Korol Litr – Король Літр
• Nirvana, abo Alzo Shprekh Zaratustra – Нірвана, або Альзо Шпрех Заратустра
• Yohy – Йоги
• Svoboda – Свобода
• Kazka pro riepku abo khuli ne yasno – Казка про рєпку або хулі нє ясно
• Vostok – Восток
• Do khuia masla – Дохуя масла
• Piat khvylyn na rozdumy – П'ять хвилин на роздуми
• Yoko ta samuraii – Йоко та самураї
• Rukh zhyttia abo Dynamo – Рух життя або Динамо
• Zhan Mare ta yoho druzi – Жан Маре та його друзі
• Dokhtory – Дохтори
• Kamianyi Dovboiob – Кам'яний довбойоб
• Irzhyk – Іржик
• Den kolhospnyka – День колгоспника
• Mnozhennia v umi, abo plynnist chasu – Множення в умі, або плинність часу
• Triasovyi Period – Тріасовий період
• Diana – Діана
• Bliesk i nishchieta pidarasiv – Блєск і ніщєта підарасів