Ivan and Phoebe

"Ivan and Phoebe" is a novel by Oksana Lutsyshina, which takes place in the last years of Soviet rule and the first years of Ukrainian independence.

After studying in Lviv and participating in the Revolution on the Granite, Ivan returns to his native Uzhgorod, where he marries the poet Maria, who calls herself Phoebe.

Lviv and Kyiv are cities with turbulent political life. On the other hand, Uzhgorod is distinguished by a somewhat grotesque atmosphere of patriarchal family structure and early capitalism in the Ukrainian style. Here it is easy to do without special effects from horror or thriller: the very reality of everyday life suggests moves that can compete with the creations of King or Kusturica in terms of tension.