Shevchenko Taras
Taras Shevchenko – poet, painter, one of the most prominent Ukrainian writers, known worldwide, his works were translated into many languages. In 1840 the terms of the Ukrainian elite broke son of a serf Taras Shevchenko. A special place in his life took Poltava and Poltava Region. An important role in the liberation of the talented youths in 1838 played the Ukrainians Soshenko, A. Mokrytsky,
Grygorovych, Russian K. Briullov, V. Zhukovsky, A. Venetsianov.
Shevchenko's "Kobzar" came in St. Petersburg in 1840 with funds from Poltava landowner P. Martos, editor of the collection was Y.P. Hrebinka. The circulation was 1000 copies and included eight works, almost all of them had initiation, and after the arrest of the poet in 1847, the book was banned.
One of the first illustrators of Taras Shevchenko’s works was born in Poltava Oblast it was Yakov Petrovich de Belman, who, along with artist M. Bashilov illustrated «Kobzar», poems «Haydamakas» and «Gamalia».
At the territory of Poltava Shevchenko was three times: in 1843-1844, 1845-1946, 1859, visiting, in total, more than 50 settlements and tied dozens of acquaintances. At Poltava Shevchenko find good friends who shared his views and sentiments. Here he wrote a collection of key works of "Three Years". At Poltava Shevchenko opened a special designation and was recognized by contemporaries as a prophet of the Ukrainian people, here the same fate brought him with women who have left a deep imprint in the heart of a poet – G.I. Zakrevsky, M.V. Maksymovych and Princess V.N. Repina.
Among the components that have created the Ukrainian national prophet Taras Shevchenko, the researchers note. A multifaceted natural talent, desire and ability to learn, stay in the capital's highly cultured atmosphere, the dialectical interaction with readers complemented the hard-won experience and previously led the opening of a poet to its special purpose: to join the fight against human injustice on the basis of songs, its true element. The proof of this has happened in Poltava, where the outbroke creative energy of Shevchenko, and in all their greatness revealed his genius. Part-time three months in 1845 Shevchenko created a poem, which became the core of the series "Three years". Ukrainian prophet Shevchenko turned to his silent people, to wake them up and inspire the liberation activities. Like the biblical Jeremiah, Taras spoke as one who has the power and strength, who stands above all. Visionary contemporaries understood the biblical symbolism, immediately recognized a prophet in Shevchenko. It is therefore quite natural that in 1933 the poet to experience his own crucifixion, and then 10-year-long soldier’s life. Since then, his personality and his inspired poetry rose to universal scale in the mass consciousness. Shevchenko’s poetry and political activity designed the modern Ukrainians. A person of the poet, his poetry made a great impression, caused a national recovery, and aroused the thought of a free Ukraine. Shevchenko was a member of St. Cyril and Methodius Brotherhood.
Shevchenko was born in Ukraine on March 9 (25 February to Julian calendar) in 1814 in the village Moryntsi Zvenygorod district in Kyiv region in a family of serfs Grygory Ivanovych and Kateryna Akymivna Shevchenko. In this village was born the poet's mother, serf of landlord Engelhardt. After the marriage, by order of the landlord, the family moved from Kyrylivka for a short time. During this migration they had a son Taras. In 1816 the family Shevchenko returns to their native Kyrylivka. In this village has passed the childhood of the poet, it is linked to all of his early childhood memories and life experiences. “And here stands in front of me, our poor, old white house with a dull thatched roof and black chimney, and near the house in the yard an apple tree with red-sided apples, and around a flower bed - favourite of my unmarried sister, my patient, my tender nurse!Ana at the gate stands branchy old willow dried on the top and behind the willow - barn, covered with stitches of rye, wheat and other grain; and behind the barn on the hillside is a garden! And what a garden!.. thick, dark, quiet, in short, no other such garden in the world. And beyond the garden a meadow, than the valley, and in a quiet valley, softly ripples, creek, covered with willows and guelder rose and 
dark-green broad-leaved burdock, and in this creek under overhanging burdocks bathing stocky white-haired boy”. Before his mother died (in 1823), living under her care, it seems that the boy did not know sorrows, after her death, began those ills that have haunted Taras to the grave. In a widowed father in the hands of the remains of five children(Mykyta, Kateryna, Taras, Yaryna and Josyp), and subsequently in their house came stepmother with her three young children. Lately, with bitter pain the poet recalled this period of his life: poverty, strife, injustice, humiliation. In 1825 the father died, after expressing a remarkable prophecy about the future of her son: "Son Taras do not need anything from my farm, ihe will not be any man: he will become either something very good or very lazy, for it my heritage neither would mean nor will not help".
After the death of his father, a small Taras was sent to school to rural deacon, where he learned to read and write, mastered the prayer book and psalter. Science to him was easy to learn, but he was restless and disobedient, for this he was often beaten. Since childhood extreme curiosity of mind, the particular vulnerability of nature manifested in Shevchenko’s character. Shevchenko liked stories about the past. He could listen to them for hours, vividly presenting the pictures and events. Taras’s father was competent and knowledgeable enough to his environment, distinguished by piety. Often and willingly he was retelling the lives of saints and ascetics. Shevchenko’s grandfather Ivan - a living witness of Koliyivshchyna, - used to tell stories of different character. Heroes of his stories were well-known people and events that have not erased from people's memory. Undoubtedly, this affected on formation and creative development of the future poet. At the same time he demonstrated his exceptional ability to draw. With charcoal or chalk, he drew on walls, doors, boards, wherever he could fit the image, which were braking loose from the child's imagination.
Shevchenko was trying to get an artist's tuition in Lysyanka, Tarasovka, working subsequently at priest Koshyts, just not to suffer from bullying of clerk Bogorskyi.
In 1828 Taras was living at the artist from Khlypnivka, who noticed his accuracy, he kept the boy as an assistant. Soon a landowner gone home and the fate of the poet has been solved: he was transferred to a room service. In his spare time the boy copies pictures of Suzdal’s school, decorating master's rooms. A well-known fact: once caught his servant for this occupation, Engelhardt ordered to flog him, for the fact that he dared to paint at night, lighting a candle. Shevchenko went to Warsaw. There he was given to learn to a friend of an artist, who saw in the youth a great talent, and advised to get Taras to the famous painter Frans Lyampe junior.
In 1830, in Warsaw was a rebellion, which forced Engelhardt to leave the capital, together with his servants he went to St. Petersburg.
Eighteenth year of his life the poet had met in the inhospitable, wet, clad in granite and blurred northern capital.
Memories about Vilnius and Warsaw, about the art studio seemed to be a distant dream. Taras has a desire to learn the "divine art". He persuaded his master to give him (to contract) for four years, to the painter V. Shiryaev for further study, to be in the future of his own artist. In 1836 the term of the contract expired, but Shevchenko has remained as an employee, apprentice. Works of the young man were very good, but he couldn’t afford to drawing “for himself”, for his soul. But the irrepressible desire to become a real artist forced him to seek different opportunities. When it was the season of white nights, snatching an hour from sleeping, Taras came out in the summer garden and painted sculptures there.
It was the period of emergency creative impulse of the artist. That is when he makes his first poetic sample - this was the ballad "Prychynna". During these sketches he had his first encounter with his countryman - artist Soshenko. It was a very important event in the life of Taras. Soshenko introduced him to Y. Hrebinka, got permission to attend evening classes Society for the Promotion of artists, and later acquainted with a renowned artist and professor of the Academy of Arts Karl Briullov. Dependent position of the young talented artist worried his St. Petersburg friends. In early April 1837 K. Briullov began work on a portrait of Vasily Zhukovskyi. This work is expected to be played in the lottery, and for the collected funds to purchase the artist.
In April of 1838 after the lottery, Mr. Engelhardt was given a huge sum in those days - 2500 rubles, and on April 22 signed a document by which the landlord provided Shevchenko will. And the next day he attended drawing classes at the Academy, and soon became one of the most beloved disciples of K. Briullov. Studying at the Academy of Arts is the final period of the formation of Taras’s aesthetic and social attitudes, the formation of his as a poet and artist. At the Academy Shevchenko successfully performed training tasks and always received high marks for his works. Council of the Academy rewarded him three silver medals of the second degree.
In April of 1840 "Kobzar" appeared in print, it became a defining moment not only in the creative life of the poet, but also in the life of the Ukrainian people. Magazines and newspapers of St.Petersburg immediately put a review on this book. All of them unanimously noted a high talent, unique emotional tone, imagery, folk flavor, sincerity and originality of the publication.
It was flowering period of Shevchenko. With particular inspiration he draws, writes poetry, travels a lot. In May of 1843 together with writer Y. Hrebinka poet visited Ukraine. Kachanivka, Kyiv, Yekaterynoslav, Khortytsya, 
Kyrylivka - these are just some of the villages and towns, visited by Kobzar. For a long time Shevchenko lived in Yagotin, the estate of Prince Repnin. He visited a number of other cities.
In 1844 were published poems "Gamaliya", "Chigirinsky Kobzar", "Haydamakas ", an album of etchings "Picturesque Ukraine". A year later, seriously ill during the next trip, Schevchenko wrote his famous "Testament" in Pereyaslav. Traveling, meetings and reading inspirited the poet to new ideas. In late April 1846 he returned to Kyiv, where he met Mykhailo Kostomarov, one of the organizers of the St. Cyril and Methodius Society, participated in its meetings. In winter of 1847 the poet makes a long journey in Chernihiv. In March of the same year was issued a secret order for the arrest of Shevchenko. May 30 he was announced the sentence of exile in Orenburg separate army corps "under the strict supervision of the prohibition of writing and drawing". From Orenburg poet was sent to the Orsk Fortress. But in spite of strict supervision and prohibition, Shevchenko painted self-portrait and wrote a series of poetic works for pocket booklets.
In April 1850 Shevchenko was arrested for violating the decree on prohibition of writing and drawing. The poet was send to the peninsula Mangyshlak. The following spring, he enrolled in an expedition to search coal in the mountains of Tau.
Since 1853, when the commandant of Novopetrivs'ke fortification became a major I. Uskov, who treated Shevchenko with understanding and sympathy, the conditions of his life became a little softened and became easier.
A year later, Shevchenko sent a letter to the vice-president of the Academy of Fine Arts of F. Tolstoy with a request to petition the government for his release. January 1, 1857 he received a letter from the wife of F. Tolstoy, stating that he would be returned from exile. However, the order arrived here only six months later on July 21.
In August 5 from Astrakhan' Taras was send to Nizhny Novgorod, where he learned about the new ban – he has
been denied to enter Moscow and St. Petersburg. However, less than a year later prohibition was lifted. In early March 1858 he arrived in Moscow, where attended O. Bodyansiy, Aksakov, M. Maksymovych, prince Repnin, to whom a poem "Funeral Feast" dedicated.
March 27 Shevchenko arrived in St. Petersburg, where he was joyfully welcomed by intellectuals. In June, he received a separate room from the Academy of Fine Arts, he began to explore those developments that have gathered over many years of exile. He read slave poetry, worked on the etchings; visited theater, literary evenings, had meetings with friends. Life is gradually acquired intensity and completeness, which lacked the poet, which he had been forcibly deprived in the best years of his life.
In the summer of 1859 the poet went back to his homeland, where he met with friends, family, had lived with them. July 15, near Prokhorovka, Shevchenko was arrested and sent first in Cherkasy, then in Moshny, and July 30 - in Kyiv, at the disposal of the Governor I. Vasilchikov.
From there, via Moscow, he returned to St. Petersburg. Nostalgia, longing for his native land did not leave the great poet. In autumn he adverted to Bartholomew Shevchenko to purchase the material for the construction of the house and find a plot for it.
In the summer of 1860 Shevchenko met with Liquera Polusmakova and, as it seems to him, met a woman to whom he was searching for life. But to build a happy family life he was not destined. Since autumn begins to deteriorate sharply the poet’s health. Even sick, he continues to draw and write poetry.
February 25 in 1861 the poet even received a congratulatory telegram on his birthday, but the next day, at 5:30 he was dead. The funeral of Taras Shevchenko took place on February 28 at the Smolensk cemetery of St. Petersburg, and on May 10, he was reburied in Kaniv on Chernechy hill.
