Easter

                          To all my friends who celebrate this Great Holiday on March 27th.  

                                   

Taras Shevchenko's Poetry Contest

                              

Sometimes our students may ask if the British or Americans can speak Ukrainian or know something about our history and literature. The best way to prove they do know quite a lot about us is to read Ukrainian poetry in English (French or German). 

That's how the idea of this contest popped into the students' heads. 

The only difficulty was to choose the winners, because all of them were brilliant!!  

                                                                 

                                                                     

 

                                                                   

 

                                                                         

 

                                                               

                                                             

Taras Shevchenko's Days

         

Much can be told about this Great Ukrainian. Let's just remember Him and His eternal words, learn and recite His poems!  

    My Testament   

When I am dead,  bury me  In my beloved Ukraine,
My tomb upon a grave mound high
Amid the spreading plain,
So that the fields, the boundless steppes,
The Dnieper's plunging shore
My eyes could see, my ears could hear
The mighty river roar.

When from Ukraine the Dnieper bears
Into the deep blue sea
The blood of foes ... then will I leave
These hills and fertile fields --
I'll leave them all and fly away
To the abode of God,
And then I'll pray .... But till that day
I nothing know of God.

Oh bury me, then rise ye up
And break your heavy chains
And water with the tyrants' blood
The freedom you have gained.
And in the great new family,
The family of the free,
With softly spoken, kindly word
Remember also me.