Text 7. Study the following information. Consult the dictionary.
Text 6
Answer the following questions.
Decide if the following statements are true or false.
1) Ukrainian is the only state language of Ukraine.
2) The Ukrainian language is widely spread abroad.
3) Ukrainian belongs to the Indo-European family of languages.
4) Ukrainian is closely related to the languages of Poland and Hungary.
5) The literary Ukrainian language developed mostly in the countryside.
6) Under the Russifying policy new dictionaries were prepared and published, Ukrainian schools, theatres and cinemas opened.
7) “Ukranization” policy was introduced from 1926 up to 1930.
8) Before the time called “perestroika” the Ukrainian language, traditions and culture were experiencing their rebirth.
1) What is written about the Ukrainian language in the Constitution of Ukraine?
2) Where is Ukrainian spoken?
3) What language family and group does Ukrainian belong?
4) How many periods of the history of the Ukrainian language do you know?
5) What happened to the Ukrainian language during its early period?
6) What language influenced on Ukrainian greatly during the Middle ages?
7) When did the modern period of the Ukrainian language start?
8) Was the Ukrainian language mostly spoken in towns or in the countryside?
9) What was done during the “Ukrainization” policy?
10) What was the destiny of the Ukrainian language and literature from the 1930th up to the “perestroika”?
TARAS SHEVCHENKO – THE SINGER OF UKRAINE
Born as a serf, Taras lost his parents in his early teens and grew up in poverty and misery. He was taught to read by the village deacon, and was often beaten “for wasting time” on drawing, for which he had a talent. Baron Engelhardt, the owner of Taras, took the boy with him to Vilno (modern Vilnus) and there Taras for the first time heard different languages and saw people who had been freed from serfdom. There he studied painting for four years and then his master took him to St.Petesburg.
The famous Russian artist Karl Bryullov was so much impressed by Shevchenko’s pictures that decided to help him and soon bought him out from serfdom. Immediately after that, T.Shevchenko was admitted to St.Petersburg Academy of Arts, where he studied painting and engraving. Shevchenko was awarded three silver medals for his works and by the end of his life he had become an Academician in engraving.
Studying at the Academy T.Shevchenko improved his general education and at the same time found his second and main calling – poetry. There, in St.Petersburg, Shevchenko never forgot his Motherland and her sufferings under the yoke of serfdom. He wrote poems in Ukrainian and in 1840 published his first book of poems “Kobzar”.
In 1846 in Kyiv T.Shevchenko joined the secret anti-serfdom society and soon was arrested for that and sent to prison in Orenburg. There he wrote a cycle of poems called “In Prison”.
T.Shevchenko was set free in 1857, but not allowed to live in Ukraine. He returned to St.Petersburg and started to work at the Academy of Arts. He also continued writing and became close friends with the outstanding Russian writers and poets. In 1859 Shevchenko was allowed to visit Ukraine and it turned to be his last visit before his death on March, 10, 1861.
It is difficult to estimate the value of Taras Shevchenko for Ukraine and the world literature. In his poems and drawings he shows the heart of Ukrainian people and their “mysterious Ukrainian soul”.
born – народжений
serf – кріпак
poverty – бідність
misery – страждання, бідність
deacon – диякон
serfdom – кріпацтво
engraving – гравірування, гравюра
to be awarded – бути нагородженим
yoke – гніт, ярмо
to allow – дозволяти
to estimate – оцінювати
1. Decide if the following statements are true or false:
1) Taras Shevchenko was born in slavery.
2) He lost his parents in his early childhood.
3) He was taught to read and write by his owner.
4) His first travelling was made to St.Petersburg.
5) The famous Russian artist Karl Bryullov very much liked Shevchenko’s pictures.
6) Russian painters and writers bought Shevchenko out from serfdom.
7) Taras Shevchenko became an Academician in engraving.
8) His first book of poems “Kobzar” was published in 1840.
9) In the middle 1840th the poet was arrested and imprisoned in Orenburg.
10) Shevchenko became close friends with the outstanding Russian writers and poets.
2. Answer the following questions:
1) Why is Taras Shevchenko called “the singer of Ukraine”?
2) Was his childhood happy?
3) Who taught to read the future poet?
4) What impressed young Taras in Vilno?
5) What role did Karl Bryullov play in Shevchenko’s life?
6) Where did Shevchenko study painting and engraving?
7) When did he begin to write poems?
8) What was his first book of poems?
9) What happened to Taras Shevchenko in 1846?
10) What did he do after he had been freed?
11) When was the poet allowed to visit Ukraine again?
12) Why is Shevchenko’s heritage considered to be of world-wide importance?