One of my favorite blog topics while I was in Ukraine was showing the monuments and memorials to the Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko. I had several examples saved up to show on a rainy day when I didn't have anything else to write about but a bit of serendipity during our recent trip to Paris has forced me to dust them off a little sooner. We were walking around Paris searching for the famous cafe Les Deux Magots when we noticed a familiar name on one of the signs on a park fence.
After a little translating, it turns out the park was dedicated to Shevchenko in 1937 and inside the gates you can find a bust honor our dear poet.
It was like Ukraine reached out and tapped us on the shoulder and so here are the other Shevchenko sightings we made before in the weeks before leaving Ukraine in April. This plaque was seen on a building in Ivano-Frankivsk.
I'm sad to admit I have forgotten exactly which city I saw this statue...it may have been Lviv, possibly?
This flower decorated statue was seen in Kolomyia.
We unfortunately came the weekend after Kolomyia had held a Shevchenko celebration. Here's a poster advertising the events:
This bust was in Kharkiv's Art Museum and it makes me think what Taras would look like if he were to star in The Incredible Hulk.
These next two paintings and small statue were discovered in Kharkiv's History Museum. After seeing so many monochromatic statues of Shevchenko this is the first color painting I've seen done of him.
Another Shevchenko portrait.
And lastly a lovely little statue of Shevchenko that would be a great addition to the inventory of the History Museum's gift shop if there was such a thing. I think I will try to track down a similar bust as a final memento of my days in Ukraine.
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