Ivan Franko

Borislav is Laughing: Boryslav Smiyet'sya Ivan Franko Ukrainian edition

?Borislav Is Laughing? is novel by the Ukrainian author Ivan Franko. Together with ?Boa-Constrictor? and a number of short stories, it describes the development of the oil industry in the Borislav region ? the rise and growth of both the oil barons and the oil workers. Franko made a close study of his subject. This was thee first time the workers? theme was dealt with in Ukrainian literature ? and one of the first in world literature. Of ?Borislav Is Laughing? Ivan Franko wrote: ?This was an attempt to show the native labour movement of the Borislav oil workers, which ended with the great Borislav fire in the autumn of 1873.?