Turning the pages back...
March 13, 1971
One hundred forty years ago, Taras Shevchenko, the greatest poet of Ukraine, whose works have been translated into more than 100 languages, died in St. Petersburg, Russia. Two months later, his remains were buried near Kaniv, Ukraine, on the banks of the mighty Dnipro River - a prominent subject of his poetry.
Shevchenko gave voice to the timeless aspirations for freedom of all Ukrainians, and, indeed, all humankind. According to the Encyclopedia of Ukraine: "He created the conditions that allowed the transformation of Ukrainian literature into a fully functional modern literature. His influence on Ukrainian political thought and his role as an inspirer of modern democratic ideals of renewed Ukrainian statehood are without parallel. His poetry contributed greatly to the evolution of national consciousness among the Ukrainian intelligentsia and people, and his influence on various facets of cultural and national life is felt to this day."
That is why each year the anniversaries of his birth (March 9, 1814) and his death (March 10, 1861) are observed by Ukrainians worldwide.
Below are excerpts of an editorial originally published in this newspaper in 1971, on the occasion of the 110th anniversary of the bard's death.
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The month of March is usually set aside for observances in honor of Taras Shevchenko, Ukraine's great bard and universally acclaimed champion of freedom. Thousands of Ukrainians - from the youngest to the oldest - take part in special programs and concerts dedicated to the memory of the man most strongly identified with the ideals and aspirations of the Ukrainian people.
A veritable man for all seasons, Shevchenko is admired as much for his poetry as he is revered for his undaunted spirit and devotion to freedom, truth and justice - ideals that have meaning and relevance now as they did in his own time and in the centuries before. ...
Born a serf, Shevchenko lived but nine short years in freedom. Yet he understood the essence of freedom better than those who enjoyed it. Not so much for himself, but for his people whose spokesman he chose to be for all of his adult life. Unwavering and uncompromising, he could not be shackled by the oppressors even in exile, where he was forbidden to write.
In his passion for liberty he often castigated his own people for past errors and meek subservience to their overlords. Yet he believed in the people, in their will and determination. Thus, his legacy for them - to hope, to struggle and to overcome.
His words retain full relevance for us today. Both as an inspiration and as moral sustenance for the yet unfulfilled dream of our people's liberty. ...
Source: Editorial, "The Relevancy of Shevchenko," The Ukrainian Weekly, March 13, 1971; "Shevchenko, Taras," Encyclopedia of Ukraine, Vol. IV, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1993.
Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, March 11, 2001, No. 10, Vol. LXIX
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