This contribution examines literary translations of 'world literature' in Soviet Ukraine in the 1920s as an important part of the so-called Soviet modernization and, at the same time, of a construction of modern national Ukrainian literature. It analyzes the historical context in which literary translations into Ukrainian appeared and asks why they became so important in the time of the 'national revivals' of the first half of the 19th and of the first quarter of the 20th century. The formation of the 'World literature' canon in Soviet Ukraine in the 1920s is considered in its relation to Maksim Gor'kii's project. The main question addressed is why completely different intentions and historical contexts resulted in a similar outcome.