THE ROLE TARAS SHEVCHENKO IN EVALUATION IN OF HIS LIFTTIME CRITICAL REVIEWS

Abstract

No other book by Ukrainian author has ever compelled so much attention as «Kobzar» («The Bard») by Taras Shevchenko. He was the national poet, who confirmed the identity of Ukrainian people, their history and language. Newspapers and magazines in St. Petersburg almost simultaneously announced literary works by Shevchenko. The majority of criticists of the time acknowledged Shevchenko’s talent and advised him to write his masterpieces in Russian and not in the so called «peasant colloquial speech of Little Russia». 1860 was marked by publishing the last «Kobzar» in his life in St. Petersburg. N. Kostomarov, N. Dobroliubov, D. Mordovtsev, М. Mykhailov, P. Kulish, L. Blummer, A. Plescheev were among those who highly valued the piece, emphasizing melodicism, poetry of the language, national colour and the brilliance of its poems combined with profound national character and folk motives as indispensable parts of Shevchenko’s poetic language. Two volumes edition of «Taras Shevchenko in critics» by O. Boron and M. Nazarenko has appeared as one of the most notable accomplishments in Shevchenko studies (edited by Hrabovych). The first volume features comprehensive live edition of reviews of Shevchenko’s poetry and paintings.