(News archive: March 2014)
The 200th anniversary of Taras Shevchenko: the exhibition of paintings at Kirovohrad Regional Art Museum
“Taras Shevchenko was a son of a peasant and became an overlord in the world of spirit.
He was a serf and he became the giant of human culture”
Ivan Franko
On the 5th of March 2014 in Kirovohrad Regional Art Museum the exhibition of paintings “Everyone has his fate and his own way...” dedicated to the 200th anniversary of birth of the son of Ukrainian nation - poet, artist and philosopher Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko (1814-1861) was opened.
Taras Shevchenko...This is the name, which glitters as a precious pearl in the golden treasure of world culture. In a brave pleiad of immortal classics of literature the genial singer of Ukrainian nation stays in a row with such titans of thought and word as Homer or Shakespeare, Pushkin and Tolstoi, Goethe and Byron, Shiller and Heine, Balzak and Hugo, whose heritage became the acquirement of all progressive mankind.
In 2014 is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Taras Shevchenko. We are Ukrainians, we have the national feast – Shevchenko’s days. Overaged thickness of time won’t be the barrier between us and a poet. Despite the skyey luminary, which going far gives us less light, the luminaries of human soul, moving away with years, grow up and send more and more beams. This is he, our spirit star – Taras Shevchenko. He was and he is with his nation, with Ukraine, he settled in hearts of everyone of us for ever.
All the creativity of the Great Kobzar is warmed with hot love to the Motherland and pierced with a holy hate to the enemies and persecutors of the Ukraine. His ballads, his songs, his fiery rage, his struggle for the better fate of working class were the songs, fury and the struggle of millions. The poetry of Taras Shevchenko is loved with all folks. The poet, who gave all his power for the strife of liberation of Ukraine from social and national yoke, and expressed the will and hopes of all folks, all progressive humanity. His is remembered, he is honoured, he is enamoured and is claimed. He is modern even nowadays. His works are pierced with democratic ideas, that become popular among people. His call for fraternity and love, for truth and justice, and freedom above all, has the universal meaning.
The prove for this is the fact that books of Taras Shevchenko were published abroad and were translated in 147 languages!
Ukraine has no famous, open and investigated writer as Taras Shevchenko. And we may not find the man, who wouldn’t know Taras Shevchenko.
Every work are explored and commented scores of times. Despite all, we should suppose that through the years after his death Shevchenko is still left unknown. We used to check our feelings, views and historical events with Shevchenko’s poetry – here there’s no lie, only the truth.
Taras Hryhorovych had the very short life – only 47 years. 34 of them were spent in slavery: 24 years – under the yoke of serfdom and over 10 years in the stern exile. And the rest – 13 free years he was under the vigilant control of gendarmes. All his life was a chain of ordeal. And even when the happiness smiled at the end of the life: he saw the beginning of that common affair that was native for him all the life...And he didn’t reached the beginning of changes, which he praised in his songs. We may say that he did his deed in his life. The happiness wasn’t for him, the afterlife fame – that was for him.
It is known that the heritage of Taras Shevchenko became the part of the most valuable acquirements of world culture. The theme of Shevchenko became one of the leading at the art opening days, in creativity of most artists, graphic artists, sculptors and the masters of applied arts. In the fund collection of art museum we may find over 50 pictures of different style, that reveals the theme of “Shevchenkiana”. Some of this works were bought and handed to the the USSR Directory of Art Exhibitions in 1970’s and to the former picture gallery, which was the part of of Regional Ethnic Museum and some of theme were gifted of bought in artists.
The exposition mainly presents the works of the alumni of Kyiv Art Institute, who had the order of Communists party to paint the image of Kobzar and his lifeway to the anniversaries of his birthdays. But we may note that they did they work well: the images of Shevchenko painted quite pathetically, naturally and deserve admiration and honour. The most part of presented works were made in 1961-64 years up to celebration of 150th anniversary of Shevchenko’s birth and have quite large dimensions: from 1 to 2,5 meters! And we have the possibility to see beautiful, made by professionals canvases of famous painters, as V. Karmazin “The 13th was passing”, H. Nelevda “Shevchenko – is a student of St. Peterburg Academy”, V. Kravchenko “Lie and slavery is all around”, P. Karimov “Comrades of Taras Shevchenko and Aira Oldridzh in St. Peterburg”, V.Yuhai “One destiny”, F. Shevchenko “Compatriots” and so on.
V. Karmazin, “The 13th was passing”
H. Nelevda, “Shevchenko – is a student of St. Peterburg Academy”
P. Karimov “Comrades of Taras Shevchenko and Aira Oldridzh in St. Peterburg”
V.Yuhai “One destiny”
Also, worth of admiration is the original plot-thematical tapestry of Honoured Artist of Ukraine, the member of National Artists Union of Ukraine E.M. Rudenko “Dumy moi, dumy moi...” according to the literary works of the poet, which was made to the 170th anniversary of Shevchenko’s birth.
In the fund collection of Art Museum a nice collections of graphical works is held. At the exposition presented first of all the portraits, which depicts the complexed intellectual and emotional life of the poet. Among them are “The portrait of Shevchenko” of V.I. Kasian, the artist-graphist, art critic, member of USSR Art Academy, professor and People’s Artist of USSR; the portraits “Recruit” and “Taras Shevchenko” of fellow-countrymen artists, members of National Artists Union of Ukraine A.M. Dvorskyi, I.V. Smychek, V.I. Hvorost; lithography “An Arrest” of Honoured Artist of Ukraine, painter and graphic artist B.Y. Wax; lithography “Taras Shevchenko” of V.O. Novikovskyi. From the private collection of the maecenas, the first assistant of the head of Kirovohrad community “Elysavethrad” in Moscow V.V. Petrakov presented the reproduction of the picture “Shevchenko and the serfs” (1928) by artist Hryhorii Kushnirenko.
Hryhorii Kushnirenko, “Shevchenko and the serfs”
B.Y. Wax, lithography “An Arrest”
Friedrich Brokhaus, "Taras Shevchenko portrait-engraving"
The most unique exhibit of the exposition is of course the etching, occurring during his lifetime Taras Shevchenko portrait-engraving of Leipzig master Friedrich Brokhaus of 1860! In the portrait we can see the half-length, frontal image of the poet, who sits in the chair in a coat and sheepskin cap. Taras Shevchenko is completely involved in his inner world, in the beyond, because it left a few months for him and he felt the knock of the death. The sign under the stamp informs: “The stamp on steel of Friedrich Brokhaus in Leipzig”, and lower – the signature of Shevchenko. That means that the stamp was made of steel piece of Friedrich Brokhaus in German town Leipzig and Taras Shevchenko saw and even signed it! It may be the last autograph of Kobzar... “The engraving of Brokhaus, - notes the famous researcher of iconography of poet Klavdia Chumak, - is a rarity and it hasn’t even in funds of National Museum of Taras Shevchenko in Kyiv”
Medallistic art is presented with bronze medals of famous sculptors, natives of Kirovohrad – A. Nimenko “In the new and free family”, V. Popov “Taras Shevchenko”. The interesting exhibit is the commemorative coin “To the 175th anniversary of Taras Shevchenko birthday” from the private collection of V. Petrakov.
The informative matherials in addition to the pictures were sent to the funds of museum by V.I. Hvorost – “The catalogue of exhibition of ex libris “To the wreath of Kobzar”, the album-catalogue “Ex librises”, album “Shevchenkiada in ex libris”, the book of V. Melnichenko “Taras Shevchenko: My only friends” gifted by V. Petrakov, facsimile issues “The small book of Taras Shevchenko” gifted by O. Babenko from the private collection of V. Petrakov; guide-album of National Museum of Taras Shevchenko and so on.
For many generations of Ukrainians, and not only Ukrainians Shevchenko means so much, that we have the illusion that we knew everything about him and he is always with us. But this is only illusion. Shevchenko as a phenomenon is big and eternally unfailing and endless. By the will of history he is identified with Ukraine and the being of country continurs with him, absorbing in it new days and new experience of folk, responding new pain and thoughts, and going to new scrolls of fate. He grows and develops in time, history and we should continue to master him. We are on the eternal way to Shevchenko...
Lesia Dmitriieva, research assistant of
Kirovohrad Regional Arts Museum
scientific-educational activity department
(News archive: March 2014)
Get more details on the website: http://artmuzeum.kr.ua/