Ukrainians honor the memory of Taras Shevchenko

Taras Shevchenko is regarded as one of the founding fathers of the Ukrainian state, a visionary, and an incredibly talented artist - poet, painter. Shevchenko is considered the founder of the modern Ukrainian language. This year marks the 210th anniversary of his birth. Shevchenko's works have been translated into all Slavic languages, as well as Georgian, Armenian, Kazakh, Uzbek, German, English, French, Danish, Modern Greek, Spanish, Hindi, Japanese, Vietnamese, Korean, Romanian, Italian, Hungarian, Malay, Bengali. Today, in wartime, monuments, publications, and images of Shevchenko are the target of aggressors.  Russians destroy them with particular satisfaction, as Shevchenko bequeathed to Ukrainians «Battle on – and win your battle!». The monument of Taras Shevchenko shot by Russian troops in the town of Borodianka, near Kyiv, became one of the symbols of the 2022 Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Made famous by a photo where it stands desolate with apartment blocks burnt down by Russian shelling in the background, the bust of Taras Shevchenko with a hole in his forehead resonates deeply with Ukrainians for many reasons. Standing among the devastation brought by Russia’s war, Taras Shevchenko in Borodianka epitomizes the dire price Ukraine is paying for its freedom.