197 years since the birth and 150 years since the death of  Taras Shevchenko has passed in March. And May 22 Ukrainians, like all people who are interested in our unique culture and history, announce another funeral date - the 150th anniversary of Taras Shevchenko reburial on the Chernechey hill in Kanev .

47 years of genius ukranian poet and artist life looks following way:  24 years of serfdom, 10 years of the joys of life and high art, 11 years of unspeakably heavy soldier's drill, which completely undermined his health and finally last three living years in St. Petersburg under the constant supervision of the secret police.

Returning to St. Petersburg from his last visit to Ukraine in September 1859, Taras Shevchenko began being in poor health from November 1860 . At the end of January 1861 Nicholas Leskov (1831-1895) - Russian writer, arrived from Kyiv to Petersburg to visit the poet living at the Academy of Arts. During the conversation Shevchenko asked Leskov about the Warsaw railway and Kiev highway, sadly saying: " If rather postal carriage go faster it's impossible to get there alive on those damn transferable but you should go anyway -  I'll certainly die here if I stay." In 1861 the construction of the highway between Kyiv and Petersburg was concluded. A dirt roads to travel 1,118 miles, and translated further, changing horses every 15 - 20 miles, was very difficult. This journey borrowed from 10 to 15 days. Highway from St. Petersburg to Kyiv was opened on July 1, 1861, but, unfortunately, Shevchenko died before it.

On the poet birthday on Saturday, March 9, 1861,M.M Lazarevskyy was the first who visited the patient. Taras was sitting on the bed and heavily breathing. Around three o'clock the patient was visited by few friends more. When only M.M.Lazarevskyy left, Shevchenko said that in the spring he is going to return to Ukraine that native air will restore his health: "I should only go home to resume my health" But not recovered. The first Ukranian poet ,the last Kobzar, the last talent that came out of the humiliating bond condition died the next day.

On the poet's death day everyone who was at the memorial service in the evening got one's act together in the apartment of his friend and executor M.M Lazarevskyy  for perpetuate the memory of Taras Shevchenko. It was deciding to carry the body of the poet in Ukraine, according to his testament of 1845:

When I am dead, bury me 
In my beloved Ukraine, 
My tomb upon a grave mound high 
Amid the spreading plain 

Ukraine is the highest holy for Shevchenko and he was ready to put body and soul to God for it, for it he lived and suffered.

And in 1847 the only thing he asked was to bury him in his motherland.

Grand me, Oh God, some time, 
In old age, perchance, 
To stand again on these stolen hills, 
In a little cottage, 
To bring my heart eaten out by sorrow 
To rest at last, on the hills above the Dnieper 

("Dream", "My high hills").

On the second day after the death of the poet one of his closest friends M.M Lazarevskyy requested to St. Petersburg Governor-General to issue a permit for the reburial of the body of the poet in Ukraine. In April 1861 the coffin was dug up from the ground, put in another one  and put on special cargo vehicle. Black coffin on his chariot drawn by chetverik. Before moving on a long journey to Ukraine, spoke Panteleimon Kulish, the companion by Cyril and Methodius Brotherhood: "What is this, Father Taras, going to Motherland without red nankeen,Cossack reward? If you are you under Cossack knights? No one Cossack did not go out of this world without the latest measures of honor. "

The poet's coffin covered with red nankeen and funeral vehicle went from Smolensk cemetery though Vasilevsky Island from Admiralty Square and the Nevsky Prospect to Nikolayevska railway station. Brought to Moscow by train. From Moscow - the old mail route through Tula, Orel, Gluhiv, Baturyn, Nizhyn Kozelec, Brovary. On the coffin arrival with Shevchenko's ashes not only Brovary community came, but Kyiv. Despite that it was Monday to say goodbye to Kobzar came many people. The way to Kyiv was long nearly seven hours. The procession started about five o'clock in the woods, that the part of Brovary. In a fit of youthful passion without waiting for permission of spiritual and temporal power the yourth would carry the coffin round the city just to the university church. However, Metropolitan pointed to the Dnieper River near Church of the Nativity, and the Governor-General put on the responsibility for the fact that the church won't saing any speeches.

Because of this order of goverment students geared horses and toted a mortal remains of the poet through Podilsk highway until the very Church of the Nativity.

Performing Shevchenko's testment it was difficult to solve the problem about buring place for the St. Petersburg Ukrainian community.In a lively correspondence between St. Petersburg and Kiev poets friends it was insisted that most befits to Kobzar is lieing in Kiev on the Dnieper - in Vydubychi monastery or at Askold grave or Shchekavitskaya cemetery. Others, mostly relatives of the poet, insisted on Kaniv as location for the burial, near the Assumption Cathedral. H.Chestyahivskyy who was Shevchenko's friend in the last years of his life, and strongly argued where would be Taras last refuge: in Kaniv, in the same place, which is selected by the poet during his lifetime to build his own home - on Chernechey mount.

So coffin with the poet ashes lodged in the Church of the Nativity on the Podol. The next day the funeral march, accompanied by a large crowd stretched along the highway to the Chain Bridge, where a large spill across the Dnieper were stand. On one of them Taras left us and went to their voyage to the eternal refuge of quiet.

Because of strong spring flood that year the ship could not hit the Kaniv beach, and had to stop at a considerable distance from it. After lengthy debate decided to move with following solution received ordinary staircases visas lowered him from the ship coffin put in instead of horses and dragged him to shore. On the bank of the deceased met with local clergy, the coffin was placed on a stretcher and "suffered father on their hands."

After sending a memorial service on the day of arrival his friends went to the Chernecha mountain and choose a place for the grave. May 22, 1861 at 7 pm with numerous influx of people from the suburbs and surrounding villages on Chernechey Mountain the great Kobzar of Ukraine was buried.

This way the last path of T.G. Shevchenko to his native Ukraine was ended. He painfully wrote about it:

I love it, I love it so much 
For shabby Ukraine, 
I curse a holy God, 
I will ruin my soul for it!

 

V.V. Kuksa,docent