— Shevchenko in the times of tsarism was looking for a vision of a new society, he was wholeheartedly involved in the cause of Ukraine, he fought for it and created it in its name, Liudmyla Yamenko, a student from Kiev, tells “Kurier Vilnius”.
Vladyslava Kosanchuk, Liudmyla Yamenko and Viktoria Pankiv are students of Polish studies at the Kiev University. Taras Shevchenko. They spend this semester as part of an international project at Vilnius University.
‘It’s not easy to study during the war. Of course, it is a constant threat, but also problems with a power outage, so many people try to go abroad to continue their studies,” says Viktoria.
Why Vilnius?
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They all come from Kiev and study Polish philology because of their interest in Polish culture and language. It is also close to them because of family ties, because each of them can indicate a Polish branch among their relatives. They chose Vilnius because they also want to learn Lithuanian. Upon arrival, they were very surprised by the signs of the presence of their university’s patron in the city.
— Before coming to Vilnius, I did not know that Taras Shevchenko had anything to do with this city. I did not expect many traces of Ukrainian culture here. It was a very pleasant surprise when I saw a plaque on the wall of Vilnius University commemorating a poet so important for Ukraine, of course, also important for our university. We walk past this place every day, which makes us feel more at home,” notes Liudmyla.
A poet at the source of identity
Shevchenko is one of the poets who has been frequently invoked since the beginning of the Russian aggression against Ukraine. His work is of great importance for the culture and national identity of Ukrainians.
“He is one of our greatest folk poets known in world literature. His poetry is national, but also international, carries humanistic content, is original, and at the same time accessible to the audience. Shevchenko touches on the oppression of the nation under the burden of tsarism, but also on the issue of human freedom, says Vladyslava.
— Shevchenko was looking for a vision of a new society, he was wholeheartedly involved in the cause of Ukraine, he fought for it and created it in its name. He promoted the idea of patriotism, protection of the people, as well as raising the importance of the Ukrainian language and culture, without cutting himself off from other nations – adds Viktoria.
“He was a special person. He focused on elevating the Ukrainian nation, the vision of its future. His poetry, however, is important not only for Ukraine, it talks about suffering and overcoming it, these are universal matters, notes Liudmyla.
Read more: Prof. Bumblauskas: “In the 15th-17th centuries, Vilnius became the center of Ukrainianness”
Shevchenko’s footsteps in Vilnius
Shevchenko came to Vilnius as a fifteen-year-old servant of a Russified German, Vasily Engelhardt, in 1929. As a son of serfs, he was not yet a free man at that time. His master saw potential in him and decided to develop his painting talent, so for two years in Vilnius, Shevchenko studied with the painter Jan Rustem.
The Ukrainian minority living in Vilnius did not forget about the stay of the national poet in Vilnius. On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the death of Taras Shevchenko, in 2011, on the initiative of the Ukrainian minority, a monument was unveiled that depicts the figure of the young poet.
Shevchenko’s stay in Vilnius is also commemorated by commemorative plaques, apart from the one mentioned by the students, placed on the façade of the building of the Faculty of History of Vilnius University, also on the house at 10 Zamkowa Street (now Pilies). One of the streets of the city and the hall at the Faculty of Philology of the University of Warsaw also bear his name.
Read more: Taras Shevchenko — Vilnius traces of a Ukrainian romantic
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