Taras Shevchenko in the Library of Congress: A Bibliography

Preface

Looming out of the eventful pages of Ukrainian history and casting all others into the shadow is the figure of Taras Shevchenko - the great Ukrainian poet, painter, and martyr. Rarely in the world's history has an individual gripped the hearts, the imagination, and the intellect of a nation to such an extent and degree as Taras Shevchenko has done to that of the Ukrainian people. And what is more rare is the spell his spirit continues to exercise to this very day on the most divergent classes of our nation: rich man, poor man, beggar man - all fall under the sway of his influence. There must have been some very unusual power in him and his works to have evoked for him such a feeling of love, respect and submission among our people.

A close scrutiny of Shevchenko's personality and works discloses that the outstanding characteristic about him, one which is responsible for his greatness, was his character, and with it his love for his people. All else was subordinate. True, he was a great poet: one who will become world famous - when our Ukrainian language becomes better known among the other nationalities. And true, he was painter of no mean ability. But, these qualities were not sufficient in themselves to raise him to greatness. A divine touch was needed for that. And that divine touch was his character.

He saw before him the great abuses of the most elementary human rights, and he saw his duty clearly before him. He would fight oppression, slavery and exploitation of the Ukrainian people in all of its forms. And to his credit he did; notwithstanding the fact that he was born and raised as a serf, that at all times he was poverty stricken, that he was continually harried by the Russian police, and that finally he was deprived of his freedom for over ten years merely for the writing of verses, during which time he was not permitted to have even a pencil or paper in hand. But despite all these obstacles and persecutions, discouraging to any one else, he never faltered; but kept true to his principles and ideals.

His indescribably beautiful and stirring poems exposed the terrible conditions under which the Ukrainian nation was suffering, and on the other hand he aroused the Ukrainian people out of their sleep and lethargy. Through the medium of his poems he awakened thoughts of liberty within the hearts of the Ukrainian people, crystallized these thoughts and finally showed the people the only road to freedom - by way of fearlessness, unity and brotherly love. He was Moses of the Ukrainian people who led them out of the wilderness. Every year Ukrainian pilgrims from all over the world come to visit Taras Shevchenko's grave at Kaniv, in his beloved Ukraine - overlooking the famed roaring, rushing and surging Dnieper. They come to pay their respects to him. Let us also in spirit make this pilgrimage to his grave, and there resolve to obey his precepts of unity, brotherly love and self-sacrifice for our fellow Ukrainians. And let us also resolve never to rest until we have achieved that for which he struggled and slaved for, that for which our ancestors sacrificed their lives and fortunes, and that which is dear to all Ukrainian people - the establishment of a free and independent state of Ukraine.

[From the Editorial in The Ukrainian Weekly, March 9, 1934]