Lysenko Mykola

   It was Mykola Lysenko’s inspiration and glory, joy and pain - blessed Poltava, native land, its calm waters and bright stars. He carried it to the gray hairs that love and inspirations like a precious treasure. 

   Grynky, Zhovnino, Galych, Horby... This region became the cradle of song youth of Lysenko. Together with his friend and relative, Mikhailo Starytsky he collected the pearls of song creation in villages and hamlets of the steppe. The uncle of Mykola Andriy Romanovich Lysenko introduced his young guests forbidden poems of Taras Shevchenko and they were up all night reading inspirational poetry. 

   Mykola visited Poltava when he was a student. As he said, he had a "great need to look like between peasants, to test their world, to write their translations, memories, riddles, proverbs and songs." Mykola Lysenko returned in Kyiv covered with prairie winds, tanned in the sun and at the university shared with colleagues his experiences. "We stayed with Lysenko thinking all night long about the national problems of the past of our country and the fate-stepmother of our peasant" - wrote in his memoirs M. Starytsky. The poet and composer have always walked shoulder to shoulder, supporting each other.

   Mykola Lysenko cared about the development of native literature, contributed to unite writers during the brutal violence of the Ukrainian word. He was friends with prominent literati of his time. In the mid 80-ies he was visited in Kyiv by Ivan Franko. This meeting was the beginning of friendly relations between the two prominent figures of Ukrainian culture.

   In the late 80-s around Mykola Vitaliyovytch rallied young students, among them were where youths from Poltava. According to the memoirs of Volodymyr Samiylenko, gathering at Lysenko, young authors read new works and translations, discussed them and sent them to the press in Galicia. "Here Lysenko acquainted us with his new songs. Usually attended these meetings all young writers, who was in Kiev at this time: Lesya Ukrainka, Serhiy Shelukhin, Odarka Romanova, Maxim Slavinsky, Mykhailo Osmotritelny, Lyudmila Starytska" - writes Samiylenko in "Memoirs and Aautobiographical Notes".

   Letters of Mykola Lysenko and memoirs of his contemporaries suggest the composer's close ties with the literary environment of Poltava. The song is not just brought him home. In late summer of 1903 Mykola Lysenko went with the choir in Poltava, where the monument opened to I. Kotlyarevsky. He was in the circle of sincere friends, who with him fought for national liberation: Panas Myrny, Mykhailo Kotsyubinsky, Lesya Ukrainka, Gregory Markevych, Mikhailo Starytsky.