HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL ATLAS OF TARAS SHEVCHENKO
ISBN 978-85-88783-11-9
Authors
1Sossa, R.
1STATE SCIENTIFIC AND PRODUCTION ENTERPRISE "KARTOGRAPHIA" Email: odegtyar@ukrmap.com.ua
Abstract
In 2014 Ukraine solemnly celebrated the 200th anniversary of Taras Shevchenko whose creative activity cannot be overestimated for development of the Ukrainian culture. Just Shevchenko has opened to the world the Ukrainian national existence having performed his historical mission of genius and national prophet. The Great Kobzar has become a powerful source of national identity, a symbol of Ukraine. Shevchenko's works are translated into more than one hundred languages of the world. The uniqueness of Shevchenko's personality lies in combination of two powerful talents: talent of poet and that of artist. In the past there were issued several travel maps that reflected places of interest related to the life of Shevchenko in Ukraine. A new stage in development of such maps was the creation of the atlas "By roads of the Great Kobzar", which was developed and prepared for publication by the SSPE “Kartographia”. The Atlas is an original summary in study of Shevchenko's life and works in Ukraine and abroad. It contains many-sided information on life, work and activities of Taras Shevchenko. This is the first cartographic work of this kind dedicated to Taras Shevchenko. The "By roads of the Great Kobzar" atlas consists of six sections: I. Childhood and adolescence. 1814-1831; ІІ. First years in St. Petersburg. 1831-1842; III. Travel by Ukraine. 1843-1844, 1845-1847; IV. Exile. 1847-1857; V. Return from exile. 1857-1861; VI. Paying homage to Shevchenko. The Atlas maps show localities visited by the poet and areas where he travelled. The authors widely show ideological and creative ties of the artist with cultural workers and their influence on the poet and artist. The Atlas covers history of translations of poet’s works into different languages. It also provides information on personalities from surroundings of Shevchenko, on historical and literary characters that are mentioned in his works of art. The Atlas pays a special attention to reflection of life and works of Taras Shevchenko in fine arts. It contains texts devoted to artists whose work is connected with Shevchenko. A whole chapter is devoted to preservation of the poet's heritage and holding him in remembrance (Museum of Taras Shevchenko, Taras Shevchenko Monument, towns and streets named after him). Localities and places named after Shevchenko is a form of paying of homage and perpetuation of remembrance of Taras Shevchenko. As far back as at the end of XIX and in early XX century some enthusiasts in the Ukrainian lands within the Russian and Austro-Hungarian Empire began to pay homage to the great Ukrainian poet. In the Soviet Ukraine the poet's name was given to numerous enterprises, educational, cultural and educational institutions, villages, towns, parks, streets, ships etc. Today in Ukraine there are 352 settlements named after Shevchenko. The planet Mercury has a crater named "Shevchenko" (with diameter of 130 km). The name of "Kobzar" was given to a small planet (1982) that moves between orbits of Mars and Jupiter. In the whole world there are 1 384 monuments devoted to Taras Shevchenko (together with memorial plaques) in 35 countries, including 1256 in Ukraine. 835 streets are named after Taras Shevchenko in Ukraine. The "By roads of the Great Kobzar" atlas allows travelling his roads of Ukraine of those times, exploring tumuli, studying geography of other lands and way of life and traditions of other nations. The atlas was created by joint work of professional researchers of Shevchenko's life and cartographers. Many materials of the Atlas are published for the first time thanks to research work carried out by scientific advisers and editors of the Atlas. Valuable information was provided to the Atlas by the National Museum of Taras Shevchenko, Shevchenko National Reserve, museums of Shevchenko in Ukraine, Russia and Canada. The "By roads of the Great Kobzar" atlas is a first historical and biographical atlas created and published in Ukraine.
Keywords
Taras Shevchenko; Kobzar; By roads of the Great Kobzar