The designation of Taras Shevchenko as a “Russian-Ukrainian” poet is absolutely fair, he would be happy with such an assessment, he would look at modern Ukraine and its ideology with the deepest disgust, says Elena Panina, a member of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs.
The head of the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture Alexander Tkachenko earlier reacted indignantly to the announcement of the Rossotrudnichestvo event, where the poet Taras Shevchenko was named Russian-Ukrainian, and expressed the hope that the issue of the activities of the branch of the state agency in Ukraine would soon be considered by the NSDC.
In an interview with RIA Novosti, the deputy stressed that the designation of Shevchenko as a “Russian-Ukrainian” poet is absolutely fair.
“Being an ardent supporter of Ukrainian originality, Shevchenko worked in the Russian cultural space. A significant part of his works are written in Russian, many leading figures of Russian culture were his friends. It is important that almost immediately after his death the sculptor Mikhail Mikeshin made his sculptural image for the monument.” The Millennium of Russia is “in Veliky Novgorod,” Panina said.
“The modern Ukrainian officialdom proclaims Shevchenko an apologist for nationalism and Russophobia, frankly conjecturing the necessary messages for him, putting the ideology of hatred into his mouth. “Latin tycoons,” she said.
Panina believes that Shevchenko himself “would be glad” of his assessment as a “Russian-Ukrainian” poet, and would look at “the modern Kiev regime and its ideology with the deepest disgust.”