A modest single-story building near Berdichev: this is the home of the legendary writer Joseph Conrad.
Joseph Conrad was a renowned English writer of Polish descent. His works have influenced notable literary figures such as Ernest Hemingway, Graham Greene, and William Seward Burroughs. He was born in Berdichev, in the Zhytomyr region. Recently, we shared information about the 19th-century Grocholsky-Tereshchenko Palace, located in this area.
"Telegraf" will provide more details about the writer's life and the house where he was born.
What is known about Joseph Conrad
Joseph Conrad was born in 1857 in Berdichev. He grew up in a modest home in the village of Terekhovo. During his childhood, he was called Józef. His father, Apollo Korzeniowski, was a Polish writer and translator who participated in the noble uprising of 1863–1864 in the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. As a result, Apollo was exiled to Russia and later managed to be transferred to Chernigov.
After Józef's mother passed away from tuberculosis, the family moved to Lviv. At the age of 17, Józef relocated to France, where he took a job on a merchant ship, thus avoiding military service in the Russian army.
Subsequently, Józef moved to Great Britain, where he changed his name to Joseph Conrad. In this country, he acquired local citizenship and worked as a sailor and a captain's assistant for a time.
However, at the age of 36, Joseph faced health issues and left the maritime profession. Instead, he turned to writing. Conrad's first work was "Almayer's Folly," set on the world's third-largest island—Borneo.
5 The second well-known work by the author was "The Outcast of the Islands," published in 1896. Just three years later, his most famous novel, "Heart of Darkness," was released. However, he gained widespread acclaim after the publication of "Chance," which tells the story of a young woman facing challenging life circumstances and striving to survive in a toxic environment.
Interestingly, Conrad's works were neither translated nor published in Russia, as he escaped military service in the occupying country. Conrad became an outstanding maritime writer, inspiring figures such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, George Orwell, and Gabriel García Márquez.
6 Today, a museum dedicated to Joseph Conrad's work operates within the territory of the Barefoot Carmelites Monastery near Berdichev. The museum appears modest, lacking any embellishments. The building's facade features four columns and numerous windows.
7 8 9 The house in Terekhovo where the writer grew up now hosts a museum. One wall of the building is painted in a maritime theme, reflecting Conrad's artistry. It now showcases blue and light green waves with small boats. Additionally, there is a plaque on the facade indicating that Joseph Conrad lived here. However, it is said that the museum is often closed.
0 1 Earlier, "Telegraf" reported on the appearance of the house where the chansonnier Mark Bernes was born. He was born in Nizhyn, in the Chernigov region.