Maria Humeniuk

Maria Vasylivna Humeniuk (born 26 February 1948) is a Ukrainian social and political activist and writer. People's Deputy of Ukraine of the 1st Convocation (1990-1994). Member of the National Writer's Union of Ukraine.

Early life and education
Maria Humeniuk (Kuzemko) was born on 26 February 1948 in the village of Buryakivka, Zalishchyky district, Ternopil region. In 1991, she graduated from the Faculty of Philology of the Ternopil Pedagogical Institute (now the Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University).

Career
From 1986 to 1988, Maria Humeniuk was the referent of the Ternopil Regional Society “Knowledge”. In 1989, she became one of the co-founders of the Ternopil regional organization of the People's Movement of Ukraine, deputy head, and later - co-chair of the Ternopil organization People's Movement of Ukraine. At the same time, Humeniuk was elected as a deputy head for ideology and information of the Secretariat of the People's Movement of Ukraine as the NRU Secretariat in Kyiv.

During 1989–1991, Humeniuk organized and headed the Ternopil regional organization of the “Memorial” society. She was a member of the socio-political and human rights organization “Ukrainian Helsinki Union” and the political party “Republican Platform". During that time, she was prosecuted "for active public activity” (2 cases).

In 1989, Humeniuk became the founder and editor of the semi-legal newspaper of the "Memorial" organization "Dzvin”. In 1990, she was elected as a deputy to the Ternopil Regional Council serving as a "Chairman of the Commission on Culture and Spiritual Revival". There, she prepared a draft decision on the rehabilitation of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic and Autocephalous Churches".

The same year, Humeniuk was elected to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the 1st convocation as a member of the "Commission of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Culture and Spiritual Revival", where she joined the newly created "People's Council" (People's Movement of Ukraine faction). She authored, in particular, amendments to the Law "On Military Service".

Humeniuk took part in the student-led hunger strike “Revolution on Granite” in October 1990. On September 9, 2009, she received the Gratitude of the President of Ukraine on the occasion of the formation of the People's Movement of Ukraine.

Literary work
Since 1983, Humeniuk's stories have been published in the newspaper "Literary Ukraine", the magazine "Soviet Woman”, and in the regional press. In 1988, the author's first prose book with short stories I Live and Love was published.

Private life
Daughter – Larysa Lebedivna, a candidate of Philology, writer, and author of the poetry books Nioba (2018), Not Eve (2017), and prose poetry Winter Dialogues (2012).