Tarass Chevtchenko

See also: Chevtchenko

Tarass Hryhorovytch Chevtchenko [[Ukrainian] ТарасГригоровичШевченко] (Morintsy, area of Kiev, March 9th 1814 - Saint-Pétersbourg, March 10th 1861) is a poet, painter and humanistic Ukrainian, considered by much as the father of the Ukrainian literature

Born in a family from Serf S, it was orphan at the seven years age. Child it showed a talent of painter and was trained by painters with Saint-Pétersbourg. He was released from serfdom thanks to the intervention of several artists of Saint-Pétersbourg who paid 2.500 Rouble S to obtain his release in 1838.

In 1846, it took part in the foundation of the Brotherhood of Cyrille and Méthode which aimed to abolish serfdom and to establish the social equality. The April 5th 1847, it was stopped as being member of this Brotherhood (which was dissolved) and was off-set in Siberia until in 1857.

It marked the national alarm clock of the Ukraine and, in homage, the University of Kiev Tarass-Chevtchenko bears its name.

Works

Kobzar (1840)
Haïdamaques (1841)
the Dream (1844)
the Maidservant (1844)
the Caucasus (1844)
the Heretic (1845)
Will (1845), its more famous poem, of which here the text:

When I die, bury to me

By drawing up my tomb

In the middle of the infinite steppes

Of my dear Ukraine.

So that I see the immense fields,

the Dniepr and its cliffs

And so that I can hear

His grondement powerful.

When from the Ukraine it carries

To the blue sea

enemy blood, then

I will give up

Montagnes and meadows and will fly away

Towards God to request.

But until there,

God is unknown for me.

Bury me. But you - Upright!

Break your chains

And water Freedom

With the blood of the enemies.

Then, in the big family,

the free and new family,

do not forget to evoke me

With low voice, tenderly.

Three years (1845)
the Kings (1848)
the Artist (1856) (new autobiographical)
the Neophytes (1857)

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