Taras Shevchenko
Taras Shevchenko Тарас Шевченко | |
|---|---|
Shevchenko photographed by Andrey Denyer in 1859 | |
| Born | 9 March 1814 Morintsy, Russian Empire |
| Died | 10 March 1861 (aged 47) Saint Petersburg, Russia |
| Pen name | Kobzar |
| Occupation | |
| Language | Ukrainian, Russian |
| Alma mater | Imperial Academy of Arts |
| Period | 1832–1861 |
| Notable works | Kobzar |
| Signature | |
Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko (Ukrainian: Тарас Григорович Шевченко; Russian: Тарас Григорьевич Шевченко; 9 March 1814 – 10 March 1861) was a Ukrainian poet, writer, artist, public and political figure, folklorist, and ethnographer. He was a fellow of the Imperial Academy of Arts and a member of the Brotherhood of Saints Cyril and Methodius. He wrote poetry in Ukrainian and prose (nine novellas, a diary, and his autobiography) in Russian, making him one of many iconic figures which belong to several Slavic language cultures.
The town of Aktau in Kazakhstan was named after Shevchenko in the period of Soviet authority. His literary heritage, in particular the poetry collection Kobzar, is regarded to be the foundation of modern Ukrainian literature and to some degree also of the modern Ukrainian language.