Ivan Vasilenko

Ivan Dmitrievich Vasilenko (Russian: Ива́н Дми́триевич Василе́нко, Ukrainian: Іван Дмитрович Василенко; January 20, 1895 – May 26, 1966), was a Soviet writer of children's books.

He entered the Belgorod pedagogical institute, but was soon dismissed for organization of a Marxist group, and because of that the further route for Vasilenko to teaching was closed and he worked as an accountant in the Taganrog Land bank.

All of his tales and stories written for 30 years of creative life, such as Magic Box, Childhood of the Actor, The Little Mouse, The Gordian Knot, Cocks, Green Trunk, Golden Shoes, Sunrise is only Once a Day, Merimes Watch, Family Council, Misha and Masha and others, were reissued by local, republican and central publishing houses and used large popularity both for children and for adults.

In 1949, Vasilenko was awarded a State Stalin Prize for the story "The Little Star" about life of trade school’s students.

During the life of Vasileko were prited 1`30 times, in 27 languages of the Soviet Union, as well as into German, Czech, Polish and Romanian.