Taras Hryhorovich Shevchenko

Taras Hryhorovich Shevchenko was born on March 9, 1814, in the village of Moryntsi in central Ukraine. Born into a serf family and orphaned at the young age of 11, Shevchenko eventually won his freedom and went on to become an outspoken opponent of the social and national oppression of the Ukranian people. As a poet, artist and revolutionary thinker, Shevchenko's work reflected mankind's aspirations for personal liberty and national independence. His literary work is still regarded as the foundation of modern Ukranian literature.