Turning the pages back... December 18, 1971 (12/24/06)

Turning the pages back...

December 18, 1971

Approximately 13,000 people attended the unveiling of the Taras Shevchenko monument in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 35 years ago on December 5, 1971, The Weekly reported. Among the attendants were 500 Ukrainians from Canada, 150 from the U.S. and 300 Ukrainians from Brazil.

This was the fifth monument in the world to be erected to Shevchenko, with other statues in Winnipeg, Manitoba; Washington; Toulouse, France; and Curitiba, Brazil. The bronze sculpture by Leo Mol-Molodozhanyn, the Ukrainian sculptor who also created the Washington memorial, portrays Shevchenko in his youth, making a sweeping motion across his chest with his right hand.

The statue sits atop a black granite base with a Spanish inscription that reads, "Taras Shevchenko, 1814-1861, Poeta Maximo de Ucrania, Bardo de la Lebertad," (the greatest poet of Ukraine, bard of freedom). Completing the inscription is a five-line quote from Shevchenko's "Subotiv" translated into Spanish. On the right side of the base is the Ukrainian inscription, and on the left is another excerpt from Shevchenko's works translated into Spanish.

The monument complex, located in Third February Park, also includes a 12-foot-tall granite sculpture based on a theme from the poet's "Haidamaky," which stands on the left of the statue.

Among the dignitaries at the unveiling were John Davis Lodge, ambassador of the U.S.; Pierre Bissonet, ambassador of Canada; Metropolitan Mstyslav of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A.; Bishop Andrew Sapelak of the Ukrainian Catholic Church; Bishop Iov of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church; Joseph Lesawyer, president of the Ukrainian National Association; the Rev. Dr. Basil Kushnir, president of the Ukrainian Canadian Committee; Dr. Eugene Wertyporoch, president of the supreme council of the Shevchenko Scientific Society; the Rev. Myroslaw Charyna, president of the Providence Association of Ukrainian Catholics; Anthony Batiuk, head of the Ukrainian Workingmen's Association, and Omelan Kowal, president of the SUM World Council.

Dr. Basillio Ivanyzky, president of the Shevchenko Memorial Committee, opened the program with the national anthems of Argentina and Ukraine, followed by Shevchenko's "Testament" led by the combined choruses of the Prosvita Society and the Central Ukrainian Committee.

Ambassador Lodge greeted the audience in Ukrainian and Spanish, and noted that because of Shevchenko's quest for a free Ukraine, it was appropriate that the statue of Shevchenko point to the statue of George Washington in the same park. Concluding in Ukrainian with "Khay Zhyve Ukraina," the ambassador elicited a thunderous ovation from the festive crowd.

Mr. Lesawyer, Yaroslaw Haywas, Roman Malaschuk and Eustachij Wasylyshyn placed a metal urn containing soil from Kaniv, the final resting place of Taras Shevchenko, at the foot of the monument. The monument was then blessed by Metropolitan Mstyslav and Bishop Sapelak, assisted by clergy.

In the afternoon, over 2,000 people attended a concert of Ukrainian song and dance, held in the Teatro Coliseo. The featured performers included the Prosvita Society chorus, dance ensemble and orchestra, followed by the Bandurist Capella under the direction of Vasyl Kaczurak.

The weeklong festivities, including art exhibits, a press conference, a lecture on Shevchenko by Prof. Battistessa, philatelic exhibits, a student ball and two concerts of song and dance, were capped off on Sunday night with over 1,000 people attending a banquet held at the Sociedad Rural Argentina.

Source: "Taras Shevchenko Monument Unveiled in Buenos Aires: Thousands of Ukrainians Take Part in Ceremonies," The Ukrainian Weekly, December 18, 1971.

| Home Page |