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Vasyl Stus

Vasyl Stus was a Ukrainian poet, translator and human rights activist, one of the most prominent figures of the sixties generation. He was persecuted by the Soviet authorities for his work and public stance and was sentenced to terms of imprisonment. He died in a labour camp in Perm Oblast in 1985 after refusing early release that would have required him to renounce his convictions and return to the USSR. He was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine.