“A Lonely Man” of Ukrainian Literature”: An Exhibition Dedicated to Lesya Ukrainian Was Held

As part of Lesya Ukrainka Days and University Day, a number of events are held on a daily basis for employees and students. One of them was opening the exhibition “A Lonely Man”, dedicated to the patroness of the largest institution of higher education in Volyn and her relationship with the men who were important to her. The event took place at Lesya Ukrainka Museum.

The event was attended by Rector Anatolii Tsos, Vice-Rector for Educational Work and Communication Nataliia Blahovirna, Vice-Rector for Educational Work and Recruitment Yurii Hromyk, Dean of the Faculty of Philology and Journalism Liliia Lavrynovych, lecturers and students of the faculty, employees of Volyn Regional History Museum.

The event’s moderator was Serhii Romanov, Head of the Department of Theory of Literature and Foreign Literature. He noted that they had planned to organise the exhibition the previous year, but the full-scale incursion of Russia into the territory of Ukraine got in the way.

“It is obvious that each of us has changed during this time, but important events in our life, in the life of our University and in culture continue. And they must come to an end. Our event today is the conclusion of last year’s events. It will not be like it should have been a year ago. Not all exhibits can be presented, because they, like treasures, are safely stored, some will be presented in copies, but that will not diminish the importance of today’s event,” said Serhii Romanov.

Then Head of the museum, Tetiana Danyliuk-Tereshchuk too k the floor to tell about the important men in Lesya Ukrainka’s life. At first, it was about the paternal love of Petro Kosach, the authority of uncle Mykhailo Drahomanov, who was called “her university” by the writer. It is worth noting that it was Mykhailo Drahomanov who gave Lesya Ukrainka the idea of writing the poem “Robert Bruce, King of Scotland”.

The museum worker also spoke about Lesya Ukrainka’s relationship with brother Mykhailo, Mykhailo Pavlyk and Mykola Kovalevskyi influences. She considered the latter her teacher. The visitors also learned about Nestor Gambarashvili, Maksym Slavinskyi, Serhiy Merzhinskyi, Kliment Kvitka, Ahatanhel Krymskyi who left the traces in the biography of the famous Volyn woman and other men Lesya Ukrainka came across in her life. Contemporary artists’ visions of the writer’s work were also exhibited. These are, in particular, the drawings of the famous musician and artist Yuriy Zhuravel.

In addition, the exhibition also featured portraits of Lesya Ukrainka painted by her contemporaries. At the end of the event, first-year student of the Faculty of Philology and Journalism Inna Ishchyk (Ukrms-17O) read Lesya Ukrainka’s poetry and performed a dedicated song.