In 1894, Olha founded the ‘Society of Ukrainian Women in Bukovina’, and outlined its purpose in her brochure ‘A Few Thoughts on the Idea of the Women’s Movement’. She was also a close associate of prominent figures such Lesya Ukrainka, Sofia Okunevska, Natalia Kobrynska, and Olha Duchyminska.

Born into a large family in Bukovina, Olha became actively involved in Ukrainian literary circles after moving to Chernivtsi. While her early works were written in German, she then learned Ukrainian and became one of the most recognised and successful female Ukrainian writers.  Her talents extended beyond writing to painting, music, acting, and horseback riding. In her novels and stories, Kobylanska highlighted the issues faced by the Ukrainian intelligentsia, particularly women. Her works — ‘Tsarivna’ (‘The Princess’), ‘A Melancholy Waltz’, and ‘A Human Being’— boldly explore feminist themes, presenting a vision of womanhood that was crucial in the contemporary Ukrainian society of that time.