Stepan Kozhumyaka

Kozhumyaka Stepan Demydovych (Russian: Kozhemyakin) (4 December 1898 – 31 August 1989) was a Ukrainian engineer, bridge-builder and linguist.

He took an active part in the 1917–1920 struggle for national liberation, fighting for the cultural, moral and political rights of the Ukrainian people.

While he was a student, he issued a magazine called Lisovyi Strumok ("Forest Brook"), in which he criticized the Soviet government.

Because of his sharp political views, he was fired from the position of head of Novomyrgorod School Number 4 and deprived of his membership of the Teachers' Union.

Kozhumyaka was due to pass his state exam in the spring of 1928, but at night on 7 March he was arrested and sentenced to three years in Yoshkar-Ola.

He made efforts to restore the ancient letter "ґ" (g) to the Ukrainian alphabet, uniting his friends and colleagues for the purpose.

In order to maintain interest and to promulgate a clear picture of Ukrainian history, Kozhumyaka published his own historical research under the titles "Brick Miracle", "St.Mykola’s Cathedral", "Monument to Cobsar" and others.

He also wrote letters to the Supreme Rada, the Writers’ Union of Ukraine and the editorial offices of newspapers and magazines, demanding an end to language discrimination against the Ukrainian people and the distribution of politically important documents, including the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, "Internationalism or Russian assimilation?"