News of the weird department...

1847 self portrait of
Taras Shevchenko as a soldier

Several years ago, someone stole a Taras Shevchenko statue in Oakville. Considering it was made of metal, you would think that it was sold for scrap, melted down, gone for good. Turns out, Shevchenko is quite the survivor (like anyone ever doubted that!).

You can read about this peculiar saga in the Toronto Star: Stolen Taras Shevchenko statue returned after 10 years. There's an interesting video that goes along with the story.

For those of you not familiar with Taras Shevchenko, he is considered the "national bard" of Ukraine. Sort of a Sheakespeare type of thing, though his works are much different. He was born as a serf, but managed to get a decent education and showed a talent for drawing which helped get him de-serfed and turned into a freeman. He then went on to annoy the heck out of the oppressive foreign tsarist regime ruling over Ukraine at the time and had to suffer much because of that.

Though the formation of a national culture is a complex and multi-faceted process, Shevchenko is quite rightly credited with being the key driving force behind the emergence of modern Ukrainian culture, literature and national identity.

His most famous poem is the Zapovit (or Testament), written in 1845 provided here in both Ukrainian and English (sourced from Wikipedia). It has been translated into over 60 other languages:

Testament  When I am dead, bury me In my beloved Ukraine, My tomb upon a grave mound high Amid the spreading plain, So that the fields, the boundless steppes, The Dnieper's plunging shore My eyes could see, my ears could hear The mighty river roar. When from Ukraine the Dnieper bears Into the deep blue sea The blood of foes ... then will I leave These hills and fertile fields -- I'll leave them all and fly away To the abode of God, And then I'll pray .... But till that day I nothing know of God. Oh bury me, then rise ye up And break your heavy chains And water with the tyrants' blood The freedom you have gained. And in the great new family, The family of the free, With softly spoken, kindly word Remember also me. — Taras Shevchenko, 25 December 1845, Pereiaslav Translated by John Weir, Toronto, 1961

Заповіт Як умру, то поховайте Мене на могилі, Серед степу широкого, На Вкраїні милій, Щоб лани широкополі, І Дніпро, і кручі Було видно, було чути, Як реве ревучий. Як понесе з України У синєє море Кров ворожу... отойді я І лани, і гори — Все покину і полину До самого бога Молитися... а до того Я не знаю бога. Поховайте та вставайте, Кайдани порвіте І вражою злою кров'ю Волю окропіте. І мене в сiм'ї великій, В сiм'ї вольній, новій, Не забудьте пом'янути Незлим тихим словом. — Тарас ШЕВЧЕНКО 25 грудня 1845, в Переяславі

more on Taras Shevchenko on wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taras_Shevchenko