History /1. Homeland History

Candidate of historical sciences Spirkina O.O.

Cherkasy Institute of Fire Safety Named After Chornobyl Heroes of National University of Civil Protection of Ukraine, Ukraine

PATRIOTIC EDUCATION IN THE LIGHT OF HONORING

THE MEMORY OF THE PROMINENT UKRAINIAN POET

VASYL SYMONENKO IN CHERKASY REGION

IN 1991–2001 YEARS

Nowadays Ukrainian intelligentsia are on the edge of social and political and cultural life and influence on the character and tendencies of its development. Its role as a creator of new cultural values in the conditions of national and spiritual revival has continually been growing. According to this, we consider that it’s necessary to show how the memory of the prominent Ukrainian poet Vasyl Andriyovych Symonenko is honored in Cherkasy region, in his second homeland.

A number of pages of textbooks and reference books are devoted to the course of life and career and especially creative works of the poet. Nowadays a great number of publicistic articles in periodical newspapers and magazines, memoirs and interviews and so on are written about V. A. Symonenko. But there isn’t any scientific work in which the honoring his memory by Ukrainians is researched and how on the basis of it patriotism is educated and national self-consciousness is formed. So, vital and urgent question of the education of patriotism in the light of honoring the memory of the Ukrainian creative intelligentsia is overpassed by scientists and requires its research. That’s why, in our opinion, it’s well-timed and necessary to research how the memory of the prominent countryman is honored in Cherkasy region in the first decade of the state independence of Ukraine.

V. A. Symonenko is a prominent Ukrainian poet and journalist. In 1960-s years he struggled against totalitarian regime of the USSR with a help of his poems and publicistic articles. He was beaten cruelly by militiamen for several times for the disclosure of crimes against Ukrainian people and died when he was a young man. Only after the independence of Ukraine an opportunity to publish the works written by V. A. Symonenko appeared. And, what is more important, children began to learn his poetry at the lessons of the Ukrainian literature at schools.

In 1994 Literary-Publicistic Prize «Bereh nadii» («Bank of Hope») named after V. A. Symonenko was founded in Cherkasy region [1]. The first prize-winners of it were S. L. Nosan, A. I. Sytnyk and A. I. Zhyla for the performance «Ostannya myt» («Last moment») about the course of life and career of V. A. Symonenko [1–3]. Also in 1995–2001 years its prize-winners were M. T. Nehoda, O. A. Ozirny, I. S. Drobny [1; 3] and other representatives of cultural intelligentsia of Cherkashchyna.

It’s very important that in 1994 Cherkasy school № 33 where the poet studied was named after him. It was the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine [4]. Also the museum dedicated to V. A. Symonenko was opened there in 1994. At the official opening of this museum the poet’s mother H. F. Shcherban was present [1; 5].

In 1998 Cherkasy literary-memorial museum dedicated to V. A. Symonenko was opened in the editorial office of the former newspaper «Cherkaska pravda» («Cherkasy truth») where he worked as a journalist [1; 6–8]. The exposition contained photos, documents, letters, which he received and wrote when he worked there as a journalist.

Besides, 2000 year was announced as Symonenko’s Year in Cherkasy region. The goal of it was to honor the memory of the poet, who would be 65 years old on the 8^th of January, 2000 [9]. So, there were different actions in 2000 in Cherkashchyna such as Symonenko’s works exhibitions in the libraries of the region, regional creative contest between pupils and students under the motto “Son, you can choose everything in the world except your Motherland” and so on.

It’s important to underline that in 1990-s years a monument to the prominent countryman V. A. Symonenko in Cherkasy region was not erected. Only in 2010 a monument to the Ukrainian poet and journalist was opened in Cherkasy. The author of the project and the sculptor was Cherkasy artist V. V. Dymjon [1; 10].

The opening of museums dedicated to the poet, the carrying out traditional parties to the writer’s memory, the formation of Literary Prize «Bereh nadii» («Bank of Hope») named after V. A. Symonenko and so on – all these elements are necessary ones for the revival of national dignity, strengthening of the national identity and education of patriotism.

It is impossible to build an independent strong democratic state in which citizens don’t remember and honor creative intelligentsia. That’s why the research of how the memory of the prominent Ukrainian poet and journalist V. A. Symonenko is honored in one of the regions of Ukraine is the basis of the patriotic education of Ukrainian people. We are planning to research how on the basis of the honoring the memory of the representatives of the creative intelligentsia of Cherkasy region national self-consciousness is formed, national identity is strengthened and patriotism of the inhabitants of the region is educated.

References

1. Спіркіна О. О. Культурно-мистецьке життя Черкащини 1991–2001 років у контексті національного відродження [Текст] : дис. канд. іст. наук : 07.00.01 / Оксана Олексіївна Спіркіна ; Академія пожежної безпеки імені Героїв Чорнобиля. – Черкаси, 2013. – 343 с.

2. Державний архів Черкаської області (далі – ДАЧО), ф. Р-5791, оп. 3, спр. 59, арк. 8 зв.

3. Лауреати премії імені Василя Симоненка [Текст] : Краєзнавчий вісник для учнів 7–9 класів Вид. 2-е, доп. ; склала Ткач Л. О. – Черкаси : КЗ «ЧОБдД» Черкаської обласної ради, 2012. – 37 с.

4. Школі – ім’я поета [Текст] // Черкаський край. – 1994. – 18 червня. – С. 1.

5. Музей Василя Симоненка [Текст] // Черкаський край. – 1994. – 25 травня. – С. 1.

6. ДАЧО, ф. Р-5791, оп. 3, спр. 59, арк. 26–27 зв.

7. ДАЧО, ф. Р-4468, оп. 1, спр. 672а, арк. 19–20.

8. ДАЧО, ф. Р-5791, оп. 3, спр. 60, арк. 84–84 зв.

9. ДАЧО, ф. Р-4636, оп. 1., спр. 117., арк. 137–139.

10. Калініченко М. Земляки вшановують поета [Текст] / Михайло Калініченко // Дзеркало тижня. – 2010. – № 43. – 20 листопада.