Taras Shevchenko

Shevchenko's literary heritage, in which poetry plays a central role, in particular the collection "Kobzar", is considered the basis of modern Ukrainian literature and in many respects the literary Ukrainian language. An activist of the Ukrainian national movement, a member of the Cyril and Methodius Brotherhood.

Most of Shevchenko's prose (short stories, diaries, many letters), as well as some poems are written in Russian, in connection with which some researchers attribute Shevchenko's work, in addition to Ukrainian, also to Russian literature.

Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko was born on February 25 (March 9 according to the new style) in 1814 in the village of Moryntsiakh of the Zvenigorod district of the Kyiv province (now the Zvenigorod district of the Cherkasy region) in the family of Hryhoriy Ivanovich Shevchenko and Kateryna Yakymivna Boyko. Shevchenko's parents were serfs of the tycoon lieutenant general Vasyl Vasyliovych Engelhard - a landowner who owned 50 thousand serfs and was the owner of about 160 thousand acres of land. A year after the birth of Taras, the family moved from Moryntsi to Kyrylivka, in addition to Taras, it had 6 children - older - Kateryna and Maria, brother Nikita, younger - Yaryna, Maria, brother Yosyp.

In 1843, Shevchenko painted the house in Kyrylivka, where he spent his childhood. At the age of eight, his father sent Taras to school, to his uncle-teacher Pavlo Ruban from Kirill. In 1823, when Taras was nine years old, his mother died. Father remarries Oksana Tereshchenko, in 1825 Taras's father himself dies.

Left an orphan, little Taras lived for some time with his uncle Pavel, who became the guardian of the orphans. Later, the future poet goes as a pushy schoolboy to the Cyrillic count Pyotr Bogorskyi, where his life was constantly half-starved. From there he flees to Lysyanka to a deacon-painter, and later - to the village of Tarasivka to a deacon-painter, but the deacon refused him. Having lost hope of becoming a painter, T. Shevchenko returns to Kyrylivka and shepherds the public flock.

In 1827, T. Shevchenko was employed by the Cyrillic priest Hryhoriy Koshyts. From an early age, he was interested in folk art, he learned to read and write from the dyaks, the boy showed a knack for drawing early on, which was noticed by a painter from the village of Khlypnivtsi, but at that time Shevchenko was already fourteen years old and was made a Cossack by V.V. Engelhardt.

In the autumn of 1829, together with Engelhardt's servants, Shevchenko went to the city of Vilno. Noticing the Cossack's drawing abilities, Engelhardt gives Taras to study with an experienced master, possibly Jan Rustemas. In 1831, seventeen-year-old Shevchenko came to St. Petersburg, where Engelhardt was transferred. In 1832, Engelhardt contracted Shevchenko for four years with Shiryaev, a master of various painting works.

In 1836 T.G. Shevchenko, part of Shiryaev's artillery, paints a theater in St. Petersburg. In the same year, he met Ivan Soshenko, a student of the Academy of Arts. Later, the artist-serf gets to know Hrebinka, Hryhorovych, Venetsianov, Zhukovsky, Bryullov. In February 1837, the Society for the Encouragement of Artists allowed Shevchenko (unofficially) to attend classes. In April 1837, Bryullov created a portrait of Zhukovsky, which was won in the lottery for 2,500 rubles. Taras Shevchenko was bought from serfdom with this money. On April 25, 1838, at Bryullov's apartment, he was given a leave of absence by Zhukovsky.

In the same year, T.G. Shevchenko was officially enrolled as an "extraneous student" at the Academy of Arts. The Ukrainian artist eagerly listens to lectures at the academy, reads a lot, uses the Bryullov library, writes poems, visits the theater, exhibitions, museums - quickly acquires knowledge. In 1838, Shevchenko met the artist Sternberg.

In January 1839, T.G. Shevchenko was enrolled as a boarder of the Society for the Encouragement of Artists, and later, in April, he was awarded a silver medal of the 2nd degree for a drawing from nature. In 1840, he was awarded a silver medal of the 2nd degree for his first oil painting "A beggar boy gives bread to a dog." In this period of the artist's life, literary creativity also fascinates. In 1837, he wrote the ballad "Prychynna", 1838 - the poem "Kateryna", the elegy "In eternal memory of Kotlyarevsky", 1839 - the poetry "Poplar", "To Osnovyanenko".

In January 1839, T.G. Shevchenko was enrolled as a boarder of the Society for the Encouragement of Artists, and later, in April, he was awarded a silver medal of the 2nd degree for a drawing from nature. In 1840, he was awarded a silver medal of the 2nd degree for his first oil painting "A beggar boy gives bread to a dog." In this period of the artist's life, literary creativity also fascinates. In 1837, he wrote the ballad "Prychynna", 1838 - the poem "Kateryna", the elegy "In eternal memory of Kotlyarevsky", 1839 - the poetry "Poplar", "To Osnovyanenko".

In 1840, a collection of Shevchenko's works "Kobzar" was published, which contained eight works: "My thoughts ...", "Perebendya", "Kateryna", "Topolya", "Thought", "To Osnovyanenko", "Ivan Pidkova ", "Tarasova night". In 1841, the almanac "Swallow" was published with five works of Shevchenko: the ballad "Prychynna", the poems "The wind is violent", "In eternal memory of Kotlyarevsky", "Flowing water in the blue sea...", the first chapter of the poem "Haydamaki" " - "Halaida", the poem "Haydamaki" was published as a separate edition. In September of the same year, Shevchenko was awarded the third silver medal of the 2nd degree for the painting "The Gypsy Fortuneteller".

Shevchenko painted "Cossack Banquet" (1838), "Naturnytsia" (1840) and a number of portraits. He illustrates many works of art. In 1840, "Maria" appeared - a drawing for the poem by O.S. Pushkin's "Poltava", 1841 - to the stories of Kvitka-Osnovyanenko "The Witch Doctor", Nadezhdin's "Strength of Will", 1842 - "Meeting of Taras Bulba with his Sons" to the story "Taras Bulba". A significant work of this period is the oil painting "Catherine" from 1842. Passionate about the theater, Shevchenko also tried his hand at drama. In 1842, an excerpt from the play "Nikita Gaidai" written in Russian and the poem "The Blind Man" appeared. In 1843, Shevchenko completed the drama "Nazar Stodolya", and in 1844, the poem "Gamaliya" was published separately in St. Petersburg

In Ukraine, Shevchenko made many pencil sketches for the intended series of etchings "Picturesque Ukraine". From Kyrylivka, he goes to Berezan, where he writes the poem "Diggered Grave". For some time, the poet lives in Iskivtsi with Afanasyev-Chuzbynskyi, tries to translate the works of Polish poets. Since October 1843, T. Shevchenko has been living mainly in Yagotyn near Repniny. Here, Shevchenko makes two copies of M. Repnin's portrait to order, paints V. Repnin's children and a self-portrait, writes the poem "Tryzna", which he dedicates to Varvara Repnin, and meets the Psyol sisters.

From Yagotyn, the poet traveled to Lubny, Pyryatyn, Berezova Rudka, Kovalivka. After leaving Yagotyn, Shevchenko visited Moysivka, visited Ya. Balmen in Lynovytsia, where he saw the album "Poems of Taras Shevchenko", transcribed in the Latin alphabet and illustrated by Ya. Balmen and the artist M. Bashilov. T. Shevchenko visited the village of Turivtsi in the estate of M. Markevich. He visited Kyiv and at the beginning of 1844 left for Moscow, where he met the historian Bodyansky, Shafarik, and met Shchepkin. Writes poetry "Chigyrine, Chigyrine...".

Shevchenko left Moscow for St. Petersburg. In November 1844, the first issue of "Painting of Ukraine" was published, which included six etchings: "In Kyiv", "Vydubytskyi Monastery in Kyiv", "The Elders", "The Judicial Council", "Bohdanov's Gifts to the Ukrainian People", "Fairytale" . In 1844, the poet finished the poem "Owl", created the poem "Dream", the poems "Maiden's Night", "I didn't walk on Sunday...", "Why is it hard for me, why am I bored...", "Enchant me, magician ..." and the poem "Gogol".

Having received an order from the Kyiv Archaeological Commission to sketch historical monuments, Shevchenko goes to Zvenigorod region. He made several drawings in the Hustin Monastery. In mid-August, T. Shevchenko came to Pereyaslav, where he painted several sights. After visiting the village of Andrushi, he paints two sepia "Andrushi", in September 1845 he visits Kyrylivka.

On April 17, 1847, T.G. Shevchenko was brought to St. Petersburg and imprisoned in the "Third Division" casemate. Here he created a cycle of poems "In the casemate" ("V. Kostomarovu", "Will we still meet again?", "It's the same for me...", "The cherry orchard around the house"). His participation in the Cyril and Methodius Society was not proven, but the document for the prosecution was the album "Three summers". Subsequently, T. Shevchenko was sent as a private to the Separate Orenburg Corps, forbidding to write and draw. On June 8, 1847, he was taken to Orenburg, and soon he was sent to the Orsk fortress. He described this path in the story "Twins".

New poems from the pen of T. Shevchenko appear in Orsk Fortress: "My thoughts, my thoughts...", "Remember, my brothers...", the poems "Princess", "Dream", "Moskal Fountain" , poems "NN" ("The thirteenth has passed for me"), "Irzhavets", "A.O. Kozachkovskyi", "To the Poles". At the end of 1847, he resumed correspondence with friends and acquaintances, became close to many Polish exiles: Fischer, Zavadskyi, Krulikevich, Werner.

In the first half of 1848, in the Orsk fortress, Shevchenko wrote four works: "A numo again versichuvat", "God has an ax lying behind the door", "Varnak", "Oh, I will look, I will look...". In March 1848, T.G. As an artist, Shevchenko was included in the Aral Descriptive Expedition. Here he made the drawings "Fire in the steppe", "Jhangisagach", "Raim fortifications. View from the shipyard on the Syr Darya", "Raim tract from the west", "Raim fortifications", "Schooner equipment" (two drawings), "Wharf on the Syr Darya", and others.

In the summer of 1851, T. Shevchenko as an artist was included in the Karatau expedition, where he gained some opportunity to paint. After the death of Nicholas the First, no amnesty was extended to Shevchenko for political prisoners and exiles. Only in 1857, thanks to the petition of his friends, the poet was released from exile. While waiting for permission to be released, Shevchenko began to write "Schodennyk".

On March 27, Shevchenko arrived in St. Petersburg, where he met M. Chernyshevsky. The poet lived first at Lazarevsky, and then at the Academy of Arts, in the studio dedicated to him. As an artist, after exile, Shevchenko paid the most attention to engraving. In the genre of engraving, he became a real innovator in Russia. In 1856, translations of some of his works began to appear in the press. At the beginning of 1859, the collection "New Poems of Pushkin and Shevchenko" was published. In May 1859, Shevchenko received permission to leave for Ukraine, and strict secret surveillance was established for the poet. T. Shevchenko lived in Kyrylivka for several days, seeing his relatives. During this period, he wrote many poems and drawings. The poet intended to buy not far from the village. He bought a piece of land to build a house and settle down.

uly 15 near the village of Prokhorivka arrested him, accusing him of blasphemy. Later, the poet was released, but ordered to leave for St. Petersburg. On September 7, 1859, he arrived in St. Petersburg. At the beginning of 1860, "Kobzar" was published, and the almanac "Khat" with nine new poems by Shevchenko, united under the editorial title "Kobzarskyi gostinets", was published in two editions. The poet's autobiography was published in the magazine "Narodnoe chtenie" as a letter to its editor.

Shevchenko's literary heritage, in which poetry plays a central role, in particular the collection "Kobzar", is considered the basis of modern Ukrainian literature and in many respects the literary Ukrainian language. An activist of the Ukrainian national movement, a member of the Cyril and Methodius Brotherhood.

Despite physical exhaustion due to exile, Shevchenko's poetic powers were inexhaustible. On September 2, 1860, the Council of the Academy of Arts decided to grant Shevchenko the title of academician of engraving. In 1861, Shevchenko published a textbook for Sunday schools, calling it "Southern Russian Primer". The poet cared about the spread of education among the people. At the beginning of 1861, the poet felt increasingly worse.

Most of Shevchenko's prose (short stories, diaries, many letters), as well as some poems are written in Russian, in connection with which some researchers attribute Shevchenko's work, in addition to Ukrainian, also to Russian literature.

On January 13, T. Shevchenko received from Bilozersky two copies of the first issue of the magazine "Osnova", where the first ten pages contained his poetry entitled "Kobzar". The Sovremennyk review of this issue of the magazine emphasized Shevchenko's primary role in Ukrainian literature and the world significance of his work. In his last poem "Will they not leave us, heaven", the poet expressed confidence that his work will not sink into the river of oblivion.

On March 10, 1861, at 5:30 a.m., Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko died. Speeches in Ukrainian, Russian and Polish were made over Shevchenko's house at the Academy of Arts. The poet was first buried at the Smolensk cemetery in St. Petersburg. On April 26, 1861, the coffin with the poet's body was taken to Moscow by train. The coffin was taken to Ukraine by horse. Shevchenko's ashes were brought to Kyiv on the evening of May 6, and the next day they were transferred to the Kremenchug steamer. On May 8, the steamship arrived in Kanev, and here, on Chernechya (now Tarasov) mountain, the poet was buried. A high grave was built over it, it became a sacred place for Ukrainians and other peoples of the world.