The Kobzar

Taras Shevchenko (1814–1860) is the great Ukrainian poet, prose writer, artist and ethnographer. His 200th birth anniversary is celebrated this year.

The exhibition timed to this historical date presents rare editions of the writer’s works. The most remarkable is the third edition of The Kobzar published in author’s lifetime. This poetry collection appeared in 1860 in St.-Petersburg after the poet’s return from the exile. The book was edited with financial support from Platon Simirenko, the known patron of arts and owner of a sugar-refinery from the Kiev Province.

The book faced a frenzied censorship in St.-Petersburg, but was published eventually thanks to the protection of Minister of People’s Education Kovalevsky. All the editions of The Kobzar published in Russia were abridged, and all the pointed political poetry was banned from the book. The third edition of the 1860 was more complete than previous ones (17 more verses were added).

Miniature books, facsimiles of manuscripts and the first edition of Taras Shevchenko’s “Kobzar” are also on display.

For further information, please, call: (375 17) 293 25 85.

The exhibition runs from February 25th, 2014.