Revzin, Yankev
1852–
He was a poet, born in Chavus. He received a traditional education. In 1880 he settled in Pereshchepyne and became a grain merchant, but he had little success. In 1895 he lived for a short time in Warsaw. During the civil war in Ukraine, Denikin’s soldiers led a pogrom in the town and knocked out his eye. He fled to Poltava, where he was a night watchman, and later the Soviet authorities gave him an academic food ration as a poet.
At age forty he began writing poems. As the recommendation of Sholem-Aleichem, Revzin had a poem published in Filadelfyer Shtodt-Tsaytung (Philadelphia City Newspaper) in 1895.
He published a collection of poems entitled Di Melodyen Fon Yankev Revzin (The Melodies of Yankev Revzin) (Warsaw: Shuldberg, 1895/1896), 118 pp.
His work also appeared in Morris Basin, 500 yor yidishe poezye (500 years of Yiddish poetry) (New York, 1922).
Sources: Zalmen Reyzen, Leksikon, vol. 4; Yeshurin archive, YIVO (New York).