On March 9, 2011, Ukraine’s Embassy to the Hellenic Republic together with the members of the Ukrainian community of Greece marked the 197 year anniversary of the birth of the great son of Ukrainian people, Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko.

The solemn ceremony was opened with the laying of flowers at the monument of Taras Shevchenko in the Greek capital. The Mayor of Zografou, Mr. K.Kalliris, and members of Municipal Council of this municipality where the monument is located, also took part in the ceremony. In his opening remarks, Ambassador of Ukraine to the Hellenic Republic, Mr. Volodymyr Shkurov, underlined, inter alia, the unprecedented role of the literary heritage and personality of Shevchenko in the renaissance of the national conscience of Ukrainians. He further stated that the immortalization of the Kobzar in Greece is an expressive manifestation of the respect for Ukraine, and further testimony of the friendly relations between our two countries and peoples.

Ukraine’s Ambassador expressed gratitude to the leadership of the Zografou municipality and in particular to its former Mayor, Mr. Kazakos, for the constant and full support for the project of erecting the monument, without which its realization would not be possible.

The attendees of the ceremony were welcomed by recitations by the Greek students of the Athens University, Vagelis Papagiorgiou, Xaralambos Tsivikas, Stefaphania Marinou and Elena Evangelou, of Shevchenko’s verses in Ukrainian.

Later that day, the opening of the exhibition of paintings of the Honored Artist of Ukraine, the laureate of Ukraine’s Taras Schevchenko National Prize, Mr. Yevhen Beznisko, took place at the Cultural-Information Center of the Embassy of Ukraine to the Hellenic Republic under the thematic name  «Ever-Living», devoted to the literary heritage of the great Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko.

After the laying of flowers at the bust of Taras Shevchenko at the Ukrainian diplomatic mission, attendees of the exhibition viewed the creative works of the noted Ukrainian graphic artist and painter.

Events devoted to the anniversary of the birth of Taras Shevchenko will also be conducted by the Ukrainian organizations in Greece.