Secrets of the Shevchenko Museum

The mansion has an interesting history that began in the 1830s. In 1842, a two-story brick house was built on the corner of the modern T. Shevchenko Boulevard and Tereshchenkovska Street. Over the following decades, the estate changed owners. In 1875, it was purchased by the philanthropist Mykola Tereshchenko, who rebuilt the house into a luxurious palace designed by architects Romuald Tustanovsky and Petro Fedorov. The interior of the mansion impressed with its luxurious grand staircase, mirrors, bronze floor lamps and paintings by Wilhelm Kotarbinsky. After the death of M. Tereshchenko, the building passed to his heirs, Ivan and Mykhailo Tereshchenko.

Later, the building housed various institutions, in particular, since 1930, the Film Institute has been operating here. In April 1949, the State Museum of T. G. Shevchenko was opened in the former Tereshchenko mansion.

The idea to create a monument arose in 1898. The marble bust of Taras Shevchenko was ordered by the Alchevsky family from Kharkiv from sculptor Volodymyr Beklemishev, who created the bust from white marble.

In November 1900, the newspaper "Pivdennyi Krai" reported that it was "... sent from St. Petersburg the other day." It was also reported that 1,000 rubles were paid for the bust. Pupils of the Sunday school founded by the wife of banker Alexei Alchevsky - Khrystyna Danilovna - often gathered near the monument. The townspeople also came here to honor the memory of T. Shevchenko.

In May 1901, Alexei Alchevsky died, the monument was dismantled. For more than three decades, the poet's marble bust was kept in the former house of the Alchevsky family.

On April 2, 2022, in Borodyanka, near Kyiv, the monument to Taras Shevchenko was damaged by Russian troops. It became one of the most powerful symbols of the invincibility of Ukrainians during Russia's invasion of our land. A photograph of the damaged monument against the backdrop of burned-out residential buildings flew around the world. The image of the Kobzar with a pierced forehead has acquired a particularly deep meaning for Ukrainians, because since the 19th century, the portrait of Shevchenko has occupied a place of honor in Ukrainian homes next to images. His greatness is so firmly rooted in the national consciousness that it is impossible to erase his figure from Ukrainian culture. Shevchenko is for Ukraine what Shakespeare is for the English or Mickiewicz is for the Poles.

Taras Shevchenko was born on March 9, 1814 in the village of Moryntsi, Zvenyhorod district (now Cherkasy region) in the family of serfs Hryhoriy and Kateryna Shevchenko. Soon the family moved to the neighboring village of Kyrylivka. Taras showed a great interest in books and drawing from an early age. He grew up in a large family. His grandfather Ivan and older sister Kateryna had a huge influence on the boy's worldview, who instilled in him a love for his native language and sympathy for human grief. After the death of his parents, Taras's childhood became difficult. From the age of 11, the boy was forced to work as a tax collector.

In 1828, Taras Shevchenko was taken as a Cossack (servant) to the lord's court. From the fall of 1829 to the beginning of 1831, he stayed with his master, Pavel Engelhardt, in Vilnius. He was punished for his desire to paint, but later, presumably, he attended lectures on painting at Vilnius University.

After moving from Vilnius to St. Petersburg with his master, Shevchenko came to the painter Vasyl Shiryayev, from whom he studied decorative painting. While working on large projects such as the Bolshoi Theatre and the Senate, Taras honed his skills in his free time by painting in the Summer Garden. His acquaintance with Ivan Soshenka and Yevgeny Hrebinka helped to support his talent among influential St. Petersburg artists. It was then that his first poems began to appear, including the ballad "Causal".

After receiving his graduation certificate, Taras Shevchenko entered the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, where Karl Bryullov became his teacher. He studied extremely diligently, quickly achieved success in drawing. Shevchenko won silver medals. The young man received financial support from the Society for the Encouragement of Artists and at the same time actively developed his literary abilities. In 1840, his first collection, "Kobzar", was published, which was of great importance for Ukrainian literature. Success inspired Shevchenko to further creativity - he wrote the poem "Haydamaki" and actively participated in the literary life of St. Petersburg.

While studying at the Academy, Shevchenko also earned a living by performing watercolor portraits and illustrations for book publications. Shevchenko mastered new techniques, such as electrocautery.

Taras Shevchenko's poetry is the foundation of Ukrainian literature, the voice of the people and a passionate call to fight for freedom and justice. His work is distinguished by extraordinary emotional power and depth of thought. He wrote about the historical past of Ukraine ("Gaydamaki", "Ivan Pidkova"), the fate of women ("Katerina", "Naymichka"), about the slave situation of peasants, and about love for their native land.

Shevchenko's creative path is a path of personal and national growth: from a serf to an academic, from a memory of the past to a prophetic look into the future. His poetic voice transforms from a gentle lyricist into a powerful voice of the nation. Returning from exile, he does not lose the power of the word, although his poems become more concise, wiser, but no less emotional.

His creative path began with romantic motifs - early works are full of lyricism, folk poetics, idealization of the past. However, over time, his poetic word becomes more realistic, sharp, journalistic.

Taras Shevchenko's social connections were crucial for his development as an artist and citizen. He was supported by prominent cultural figures of the time. The artist Ivan Soshenko was the first to see talent in him and introduced him to Yevhen Hrebinka, Karl Bryullov, and Vasyl Zhukovsky. It was thanks to these people that Shevchenko was redeemed from serfdom in 1838. In St. Petersburg, Shevchenko had a wide circle of acquaintances among writers, artists, and scientists who not only inspired him, but also contributed to the development of his literary and artistic creativity.

In Kyiv and during his travels around Ukraine, Shevchenko became close to figures of the national revival — Mykola Kostomarov, Panteleimon Kulish, Mykhailo Maksimovich, who shared his ideas of liberating the people.

Taras Shevchenko returned to Ukraine for the first time in 1843. He traveled extensively throughout his native land — he visited Kyiv, Kyiv region, Poltava region, Chernihiv region. What he saw deeply impressed the artist and inspired him to create the poem "Dream" and a series of etchings "Picturesque Ukraine". And in St. Petersburg, Ukraine remained at the center of his thoughts.

Shevchenko came to Ukraine for the second time in 1845 after officially completing his studies. He worked as an artist in the Kyiv Archeographic Commission, researched historical monuments, and actively wrote poetry. At this time, Shevchenko joined the activities of the Cyril and Methodius Brotherhood, a secret organization that advocated the abolition of serfdom and the national revival of Ukraine.

In 1847, Taras Shevchenko was arrested for his participation in the Cyril and Methodius Brotherhood. He was exiled as a soldier to the Orenburg region with a special punishment - a ban on writing and drawing. Shevchenko was sent to the Orsk fortress, where he underwent a difficult soldier's service in harsh conditions. Despite the official ban, he secretly continued to write poems and draw, hiding them from his guards.

Later, he was transferred to the Novopetrovsky fortress on the coast of the Caspian Sea, where he stayed for seven years (1850–1857). During this time, Shevchenko created many portraits, landscapes and drawings in which he conveyed the life and lifestyle of the Kazakhs.

The period of exile became for Shevchenko years of physical and mental trials, but at the same time - a time of inner stability and creative self-affirmation. His poetry of this period became deeper, philosophical. In the poems of that time - "It's the same for me", "If you only knew, gentlemen..." and others - the poet addresses the themes of loneliness, freedom, moral stability.

In 1857, after ten years of exile, Taras Shevchenko was released thanks to the petitions of his friends and influential people in St. Petersburg. At first, he had no right to live in Ukraine. However, in 1859, Shevchenko finally received official permission to return to his homeland. During this trip, he visited relatives in Kyrylivka and visited Kyiv, but the poet's activities were closely monitored by the police. He was arrested again on suspicion of "inciting the peasants", after which he was sent to St. Petersburg.

Shevchenko spent the last years of his life in St. Petersburg, where he actively worked on literary and artistic works. He created the "South Russian Primer" for teaching Ukrainian children in Sunday schools, wrote poetry, and was engaged in engraving. He had a dream of owning his own home in Ukraine, but it didn't come true.

In 1859, the poet was photographed again by A. Denyer — together with his friends G. Chestakhivsky, the brothers O. and M. Lazarevsky, and P. Yakushkin. The Leipzig master F. Brockhaus framed the figure of Shevchenko from this group and engraved it on steel; later, Russian masters also made engravings on metal and wood from this photo.

Throughout his life, Taras Shevchenko constantly read, used the libraries of acquaintances and friends, and collected his personal library. After Taras Shevchenko's death, his belongings remained in the premises of the Academy of Arts, where the poet lived in his last years. An inventory of his property was made, among which there were 110 books. This is a publication in Ukrainian, Russian, and Polish. Most of the books are from the history of Ukraine: chronicles, works by Mykola Kostomarov, "Black Council" by Panteleimon Kulish, stories by Hryhoriy Kvitka-Osnovyanenko, stories by Mark Vovchko, "Dead Souls" by Mykola Gogol. Among the books was his "Kobzar" published in 1860.

In the last years of his life, Taras Shevchenko lived in St. Petersburg, where, despite his poor health, he continued to work actively. In February 1861, his condition deteriorated sharply: heart disease and the consequences of many years of exhaustion were becoming apparent.

On March 10, 1861, the day after his 47th birthday, Taras Shevchenko died in St. Petersburg. At first, he was buried at the Smolensk cemetery, but two months later, according to Shevchenko's poetic will, the coffin with his body was transported to Ukraine. On May 8, he was reburied on Chernechaya Gora near Kanev, a place with a magnificent view of the Dnieper. Later, this mountain became a symbol of national memory and was named Tarasova. A monument was erected over the grave, to which thousands of people come to honor the great poet and artist.

The first steps towards the creation of the Taras Shevchenko Museum were taken at the beginning of the 20th century - in 1902, the Museum of Ukrainian Antiquities was founded in Chernihiv, the basis of which was became the collection of Vasyl Tarnovsky. It contained unique materials about Shevchenko. Later, in 1926, the Taras Shevchenko Institute was established in Kharkiv, thanks to which manuscripts, paintings and documents of the poet were collected. In 1934, the first Shevchenko Picture Gallery was opened on its basis. On the eve of World War II in Kyiv, in the Mariinsky Palace, the Central State Museum of Taras Shevchenko was opened, but due to the war the collection was partially evacuated to Novosibirsk.

After the war, in 1949, through the efforts of Ukrainian cultural figures, the Kyiv Museum and the Kharkiv Gallery were united into a single T. G. Shevchenko State Museum in Kyiv. It was placed in the former estate of Mykola Tereshchenko at 12 T. Shevchenko Boulevard. Since 2001, it has had the status of National and is one of the most important centers for the study and popularization of the artist's heritage.

Taras Shevchenko was not only an outstanding poet, but also a talented artist, who was especially skilled in the technique of watercolor. Even while studying at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, he created portraits, historical compositions and genre scenes. His watercolors were distinguished by soft color transitions, vivid emotions and a subtle sense of light and shade.

Taras Shevchenko was one of the first professional etchers of Ukraine. Etching is a type of engraving on metal that requires high technical skill. Shevchenko mastered this complex technique at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. In 1860, he received the honorary title of academician of engraving.

Among the most famous etchings of Shevchenko is the series "Picturesque Ukraine", where he depicted scenes from the folk life, history and everyday life of Ukrainians - for example, "Village elders", "Gifts in Chyhryn", "Judgment council". His etchings are characterized by the accuracy of the line, deep imagery, and profound social content.

"Kateryna" (1842) is one of Taras Shevchenko's most famous paintings, considered a benchmark of his artistic skill.

In one of his letters to G. S. Tarnovsky Shevchenko writes: “...in the field under the hut, the grandfather sits, sharpens his spoons and looks sadly at Kateryna, and she, poor thing, still does not cry... and the Muscovite is tearing himself apart, only the dust has fallen; the still ugly dog ​​​​catches up to him and supposedly barks. On one side is a grave, on the grave a windmill, and there only the steppe dreams. Such is my picture.”