Taras Shevchenko

Sender: Prott

Taras Shevchenko (1814-1861) is a great Ukrainian poet, artist and thinker. His writings formed the foundation for the modern Ukrainian Literature and he is also considered the founder of the modern written Ukrainian language. After Ukraine gained its independence (following the collapse of the Soviet Union), some Ukrainian cities replaced their statues of Lenin with statues of this great poet. I read that this monument is 16.5-metre high, inclusive of a 5.5 metre bronze statue of Shevchenko on a round pedestal of raw labradorite (leldspar) encircled by various levels of smaller pedestal featuring 16 bronze figures symbolising Ukrainian history and Taras Shevchenko's poetry. It was erected on March 24, 1935. 

Below is one of his many poems:-

Don't Envy

Don't envy, friend, a wealthy man:
A rich man's life is spent
Without a friend or faithful love --
Those things he has to rent.
Don't envy, friend, a man of rank,
His power's based on force.
Don't envy, too, a famous man:
The man of note well knows
The crowd's acclaim is not for him,
But for that thorny fame
He wrought with labour and with tears
So they'd be entertained.
But then, when young folk gather 'round,
So fine they are and fair
You'd think it's heaven, -- ah, but look:
See evil stirring there ...

Don't envy anyone my friend,
For if you look you'll find
That there's no heaven on the earth,
No more than in the sky.

(4th October, 1845)

Prott wrote that this particular monument to Taras Shevchenko is known as one of the most beautiful in her city, Kharkov. And that when they celebrate Independence Day, some guys try to climb on top of it, generally unsuccessfully, because of their state of inebriety!