Symbol of freedom: Botswana opens Africa's first monument to Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko
Photo: Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha (Getty Images)
In the African country of Botswana, the first monument on the continent to Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko has been installed. The monument was unveiled at the country’s largest educational institution — the University of Botswana, according to Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.
Details of the historic event
The ceremonial unveiling of the monument was attended by the university leadership, members of the Ukrainian community, diplomats, and journalists. The monument was made of Botswana bronze by a local sculptor, Francois Coertze.
During the ceremony, the dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Thapelo Otlogetswe, read Shevchenko’s famous poem Testament, translated into Botswana’s national language, Setswana.
Photo: Monument to Shevchenko in Botswana (facebook.com/andrij.sybiha)
Photo: Monument to Shevchenko in Botswana (facebook.com/andrij.sybiha)
Sybiha emphasized that Botswana became the first country in Africa to honor the memory of the Ukrainian poet. Currently, there are 1,384 monuments to Shevchenko around the world, 128 of which are located in 35 countries outside Ukraine.
"The first Kobzar (nickname of Shevchenko - ed.) on African soil reflects the global nature of Shevchenko’s ideas and the power of his thought, which across centuries unites the world around the values of freedom and justice," the minister said.
The head of the Foreign Ministry also thanked Ukrainian diplomats and the Ukrainian embassy in Botswana for implementing this initiative.
Taras Shevchenko
Taras Shevchenko is a figure of global significance whose name has become synonymous with Ukrainian resilience. Known as the Kobzar and the spiritual father of the nation, he laid the foundation for the modern literary language and national consciousness of Ukraine.
His life story is a remarkable transformation from an enslaved serf into an academician of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. Shevchenko’s creative legacy, filled with calls for freedom, still serves as a manifesto of the struggle for Ukrainian statehood.
