Leonyd Pysarchuk

Leonyd Pysarchuk

After being exiled for religious beliefs, Leonid’s parents, on the advice of their friends, decided to move from the Siberian wilderness to the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, which was famous for its abundance of sunshine and variety of vegetables and fruits, which was important for a large family. It was there, in the Kyrgyz village of Sokuluk, that Leonid Leonidovich was born on October 11, 1966, the ninth of fourteen children. The love of his parents, who were deeply religious people, was enough for everyone. Conversations about God, reading the Bible, and church services at home were common for the family.

In 1992, part of the large Pisarchuk family moved to the USA. Leonid already had his own family, and the seeds sown in the past began to sprout. God, whose relationship was previously built on the principle of a “magic wand,” became an all-encompassing inspiration. From somewhere came the desire to write poetry. “Over time, I came to understand that my relationship with Him needed to be declared openly and publicly,” says the author. “Today, my wife Elena and I carry out pastoral ministry in an English-speaking church in the city of Longview, Washington state; we are parents of four children and happy grandparents of six grandchildren. The desire to write poetry that once came has never left me. At the moment, two collections of poems written by me have been published: ‘The Same Forever’ and ‘My Song About the King…’ I try to think modestly about my poetic abilities, but, as one of the biblical characters said, ‘What I have written, I have written.’ (John 19:22) Peace to you.”