Vitaliy Korotych has died: former editor of Ogonyok and KGB agent

Vitaliy Korotych has died: from poet to propagandist

According to glavcom.ua: At the age of 89, Soviet journalist, Ukrainian dissident poet, screenwriter, and former editor-in-chief of the magazine 'Ogonyok' Vitaliy Korotych passed away in Moscow. He was born on May 26, 1936, in Kyiv to a family of doctors, graduated from Kyiv Medical Institute, and worked at the Strazhesko Institute of Cardiology. At the same time, he began writing poetry and working as a poet. In the following years, he published many poetry collections and prose works, among which the most famous is 'The Last Request of the Old Lyrical (Take Me Across Maidan)', written after the death of his son.

Korotych built a career as an editor, heading the publications 'Vsesvit' and 'Ogonyok', which played an important role in the restructuring processes. However, later he lost touch with Ukraine, moving to Moscow, obtained Russian citizenship, and openly expressed his support for pro-Russian policies. In 2023, he was added to the 'Peacemaker' database because of this. Declassified KGB archives also revealed that he was an agent of Soviet special services since the 1960s under the pseudonym 'January'. Vitaliy Korotych died from heart problems in 2024, remaining active in Moscow until his last days.

Vitaliy Korotych, a well-known Ukrainian poet and journalist who began his career in Ukraine but later shifted to pro-Russian views, died in Moscow at the age of 89. He will be remembered for his works and the controversies that arose around his political views.