Iryna Farion
Iryna Farion: Extended biography
Iryna Dmytrivna Farion is a Ukrainian linguist, educator, scholar, Doctor of Philology, professor, politician, and public figure.
Childhood and early life
Iryna Dmytrivna Farion was born on April 29, 1964, in Lviv, the Ukrainian SSR. Her father, Dmytro Ivanovych Farion (1922-2004), worked as a plumber at the Lviv Gas Equipment Plant, and her mother, Yaroslava Stepanivna Farion (Slipets) (b. 1927), was a teacher in the village of Lynin, Starosambir district, Lviv region, and later worked for over 40 years as the head of the reading room and acquisitions department at the Lviv Regional Youth Library.
Education.
In 1971-1981, Iryna studied at Lesia Ukrainka Lviv Secondary School No. 75. After graduation, she worked for a year as a librarian at the 40th Anniversary of the Komsomol Regional Library for Youth (now the Roman Ivanychuk Lviv Regional Library for Youth). From 1982 to 1987, she studied at the Faculty of Philology at the Ivan Franko State University of Lviv, graduating with honors. From 1986 to 1991, she worked as a laboratory assistant at the Department of General Linguistics at the same university and as the head of the Center for Ukrainian Studies at the Department of Folklore Studies.
Teaching and research activities
From 1990 to 1995, Iryna Farion worked as a lecturer at the Department of Languages at the Lviv State Institute of Applied Arts (now the Lviv National Academy of Arts), where she taught courses in Ukrainian as a foreign language, language culture, and Ukrainian literature. In 1996, she defended her PhD thesis on “The Anthroponymic System of Upper Naddnistria in the Late 18th and Early 19th Centuries (Surnames)” under the supervision of Professor Mykhailo Khudash and received her PhD in Philology.
From 1991 to 2023, she worked as a lecturer, associate professor, doctor of philology, and professor at the Department of Ukrainian Language at Lviv Polytechnic National University. In 1998, she launched a political poster and drawing project with students of the Institute of Architecture at Lviv Polytechnic National University called “Language is the Basis of Your Life,” which lasted for ten years and became the basis for several collections of language posters. In 2015, Farion defended her doctoral dissertation on “The Social Status of the Old Ukrainian (Ruthenian) Language in the XIV-XVII Centuries” under the supervision of Professor Vasyl Nimchuk.
Political activity
Since 2005, Iryna Farion has been a member of Svoboda and a member of the party’s Political Council. In 2006, she became a deputy of the Lviv Regional Council and deputy chairman of the Commission on Education and Science. In 2012-2014, she was a Member of Parliament of Ukraine of the VII convocation, elected on the list of the Svoboda party. She headed the Subcommittee on Higher Education of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Science and Education.
Scandals.
Iryna Farion has repeatedly been involved in scandals due to her harsh statements. One of the most high-profile cases was her public criticism of the Russian-speaking Ukrainian military, which led to mass protests and her dismissal from the university in November 2023. Students and civil society organizations demanded her dismissal due to her statements that contradicted the principles of tolerance and interethnic peace.
Criminal cases
Several criminal cases were opened against Iryna Farion. She was accused of violating the equality of citizens, insulting the honor of a serviceman, violating the secrecy of correspondence and violating the privacy of a person. Her statements were subjected to a psychological and linguistic examination.
Attempted murder
On July 19, 2024, an assassination attempt was made on Iryna Farion in Lviv. She was seriously wounded in the head and was in critical condition in the hospital. The incident caused a wide public outcry and raised questions about the safety of political figures in Ukraine. The investigation into the attack is ongoing.
Family and personal life
Iryna Farion was married to Ostap Semchyshyn. The couple had a daughter, Sofia (b. 1989). Farion is currently divorced. She has two grandchildren: Eva and Dmitry. Her family life, as well as her professional and political activities, were subjected to public discussion due to her active public position and radical statements.
Conclusion.
Iryna Farion remains one of the most controversial figures in Ukrainian society. Her activities as a linguist, politician, and public figure spark heated debate and divide public opinion. Despite numerous scandals and criminal cases, she continues to actively defend her views and fight for the ideas she believes in. Her life reflects the complexity and contradictions of contemporary Ukrainian society, where issues of language and national identity remain in the spotlight.
