As part of celebration of the 200th anniversary of birth of Taras Shevchenko Department of Geography and methods of teaching geography held "Shevchenko and geography" scientific seminar in the conference hall of "Stara Uman" State Historical and Architectural Reserve.
The participants of the seminar discussed a wide range of issues in the reports and presentations related to the life of the great poet. In the opening remarks, Oksana Braslavska, the Head of the Department of Geography and methods of teaching geography at USPU and Oleksandr Melnychuk, the Director of "Stara Uman" State Historical and Architectural Reserve spoke about the significance of the figure of Taras Shevchenko for the contemporary world. Every year the Ukrainians in our country and abroad celebrate the anniversary of the birth of the great son of Ukraine, brilliant poet and artist Taras Shevchenko. He is the symbol of truth and freedom, a fervent fighter for the freedom of Ukraine.
The poet left important guidelines for his "living and unborn compatriots", expressed the will of the enslaved people "I will glorify those quiet slaves! I will guard them by my words." And his words full of pain for the native country, for its destiny, full of faithful love and sacrifice, became a timeless shield for our people against the invaders who always try to use the new technologies, especially informational ones rather than military, trying to stop the process of national self-consciousness of our people.
During the seminar Assistant Professor Oleksiy Sytnyk spoke about honoring the works of Taras Shevchenko in Uman, Associate Professor Iryna Kravtsova discussed "Ukraine in the works of Taras Shevchenko", Yana Panasiuk, an expert from the center for young travelers devoted her speech to the theme of "Homeland of Shevchenko - Cherkasy Oblast - the heart of Ukraine."
As a poet and artist, Taras Shevchenko would always keep his native land in his heart. While studying at the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg he painted the pictures that could be valuable documentaries for research of the Ukrainian national clothes. The trips to Ukraine provided the artist with ample creative material. Exact knowledge of Ukraine and his native land enabled the poet and artist to describe the events with the utmost precision, historical truthfulness, and geographical accuracy. Shevchenko used not just the arts but also the prose work to depict the events. In general, every work, every poem is not just a story – it is a legend. All those events unfold in the clearly outlined space described with the utmost precision. The teacher Maryna Kugay and the third-year student Iryna Kyrylyuk were speaking about these and other techniques of creativity and episodes of life of Taras Shevchenko and about reinforcing the love for motherland by means of creativity.
The teacher Lesya Zaporozhets developed and presented a special and very interesting topic of "The country study activities of Shevchenko". The research of scientific activities of local history, art and poetry of Taras Shevchenko showed that he had always been interested in ancient monuments, participated in the academic studies. The descriptions of historical monuments in the "Archaeological notes", "The Diary" and many works of art made by Shevchenko present a significant value but they are far from being fully utilized in the historical and archaeological sciences.
The scientific theme "Shevchenko in the onomatology of Cherkasy Oblast" was researched by Andriy Maksyutov, the Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, who worked on the historical heritage of Shevchenko by means of using onomastics – the section of linguistics that studies proper names. In particular, this includes toponyms - the names of geographic places, ergonyms – the names of businesses, companies, institutions, enterprises, associations, etc., idionymes - the names of publications, phytonymes - the names of natural objects and plants.
The workshop participants learned about Taras Shevchenko as a geographer, cartographer, explorer from the works of Iryna Kozynska, the Candidate of Geographical Sciences. Shevchenko was a member of the expedition of the famous Russian scientist A.I. Butakov that researched the Aral Sea. The expedition lasted 56 days and its members discovered the Aral Sea. Shevchenko was included in the expedition as an artist because photographing was impossible at that time and everything depended on how clearly things were depicted.
"Taras Shevchenko as a member of Karatausk expedition" was the theme of study of Iryna Kozynska, Candidate of Geographical Sciences, and Ruslana Zavadska, the third-year student. During this expedition Shevchenko created a series of paintings in watercolor and pencil. Many of them are bearing the names of the places visited by the expedition and the serial numbers that correspond to the numbers of the route. The story was successfully supplemented by the slides of Shevchenko’s paintings - a kind of historical monument to Mangyshlak.
Similarly, Yulia Gulko, the third-year student explored the theme “Taras Shevchenko in Kirovograd Oblast” under the supervision of Lyubov Bezlatna.
"The traces of Taras Shevchenko in Kirovohrad region" were studied by Ganna Ladygina, the third-year student. It was proved that the Great Poet had had many relatives, loyal friends, acquaintances and associates in Kirovohrad Oblast. The same can be concluded about the Prydniprovia which is the topic for research of Olga Kalinovska, the third year student. In general, biographers listed about 200 towns and villages associated with the great poet. Wherever had Taras been the memory of him is saved in the hearts of people. Shevchenko is remembered in the steppe countryside where he had lived as a child. Every area, city, district has schools and streets named after the poet. Agricultural enterprises, museums and memorials bear his name.
A great presentation of "The monument in Ukraine and the world" was prepared by Olena Gorodetska, the third-year student. Taras Shevchenko remains one of the symbols of Ukraine and Ukrainians all over the world. Therefore, wherever Ukrainians settle they certainly erect monuments to this outstanding poet and artist. He has always been a symbol of the Ukrainian nation. Currently, there are 1384 monuments to Taras Shevchenko in the world: 1256 in Ukraine and 128 abroad (in 35 countries).
At the workshop, Dana Palamarchuck, the geography teacher and the 8th grade pupils of school № 1 in Uman together with the fourth year students Valentyna Petruk and Inna Aleynikova demonstrated a fragment of lesson "Taras Shevchenko and geography" and teachers of Uman School № 9 Natalia Laturynska and Uman town school Tetiana Bevz represented their "Taras Shevchenko and education" research work.
Taras Shevchenko remains invaluable for future teachers, their professional growth and creative development. This was reinforced at "Shevchenko and geography" seminar hold by the Department Geography and methods of teaching geography. Shevchenko is the entire Universe for the Ukrainian mentality. The name of Taras Shevchenko is a precious gem that sparkles in the golden treasury of the world culture; his artistic heritage has become the property of all progressive mankind.
