Taras Shevchenko, the great Ukrainian poet and artist, was born on March 9, 1814 in the village of Morintsy in the Cherkasy region, becoming a symbol of national identity. His life was full of trials: from serfdom to recognition of talent, which allowed him to study in St. Petersburg.

However, longing for Ukraine and criticism of the imperial government led to persecution, exile and bans on creativity. Shevchenko's works, filled with love for the homeland, often depicted Russians as invaders oppressing the Ukrainian people. These motives make his poetry relevant today, when Ukraine confronts aggression from Russia.

The life of Taras Shevchenko was a drama reflecting the fate of the entire Ukrainian people. Born into a serf family, he early discovered a talent for drawing, thanks to which he was ransomed from captivity and sent to study in the imperial capital. However, freedom turned out to be illusory: for his work, full of anti-imperial motives, the poet was repeatedly punished by the authorities. Exile to remote corners of the empire with a ban on writing and drawing did not break his spirit. On the contrary, it has sharpened criticism of Russians as “strangers” who are bringing trouble to Ukraine. His works became the foundation of Ukrainian national consciousness, where Russia appears as an eternal antagonist. The poet not only described historical events, but also foresaw future conflicts, emphasizing the need for resistance.

Shevchenko's poems often portray Russians as cynical invaders who are destroying Ukrainian culture and identity. This theme permeates all of his work, from poems to messages.. Today, during the war, these lines take on a prophetic sound, emphasizing the eternal relevance of the struggle. Shevchenko early felt the yoke of serfdom and the imperial system. Redeemed from captivity thanks to his talent, he ended up in the capital of the Russian Empire, where he saw the contrast between his own culture and the dominant one.. This proximity to the center of power only increased his resentment. In his works, the poet often contrasts Ukraine and Muscovy as two opposite worlds. Muscovites in his portrayal are not just people of another land, but carriers of evil, destroying Ukrainian life. Exile to remote regions of the empire with a complete ban on creativity became for him personal confirmation of tyranny. That is why in Shevchenko’s poetry Russia appears as an eternal threat.

In the poem " He warns:.

Fuck you, black-haired ones, but not with the Muscovites, for the Muscovites are strangers to the people, it’s hard to fuck with you.

Moskal loves fiercely, fiercely kine;

I went to my Muscovite, And the girl died... This story symbolizes a broader phenomenon: cynical use and neglect by the invaders. Shevchenko emphasizes that Muscovites are strangers with whom cohabitation is impossible.

In his address “To Osnovyanenko” the poet directly calls the Moscow region a hostile space. He writes:.

Muscovite, strangers all around.

It’s hard, dad, living with enemies!

Shevchenko sees the neighboring empire as a constant threat that is strangling Ukrainian life. Muscovites surround, oppress and give no peace. This theme is repeated in many works where Russia is depicted as the source of bondage.

In the poem " He describes how the empire suppresses peoples:.

We have the same world, as in those - Siberia alone is not necessary!

And the prison, and the people!

What to treat!

The poet condemns the boundless appetite for foreign lands when one's own territories remain wild. Muscovites are presented as oppressors who torture and punish. Shevchenko exposes hypocrisy:.

According to the law of the Apostle V, love your brother!

You talk, you hypocrite, you are cursed by God!

You love your brother's skin, not your soul!

What reads as a direct expose of false "

Shevchenko more than once recalls the real crimes of Muscovites on Ukrainian lands. In the poem \; like the Cossacks the nights fled away and on the quiet Danube they became a new cat;

Like the queen walked around Kiev with Nechos.

The 1st Mezhygorsk Spas was set on fire at night.

The invaders are depicted as ruthless barbarians, plundering holy sites without any compassion. The poet emphasizes the historical truth: Muscovites come, destroy and move on, leaving emptiness. These lines illustrate the systematic destruction of Ukrainian culture and freedom.

In "

O my clear dawn!

You lead me from prison, from captivity, directly to the mikoli settlement, and light, and burning over it with an invisible, holy, life-giving fire, and from pus stand before me in front of your godless deeds.

Godless king! More creative than evil!

Tell truth to the cruel persecutor!

What is there on earth?

And you, All-Seeing Eye!

Chi Ti marveled loudly, /260/ How the slave saints were driven into Siberia by hundreds in kaidans, How they muzzled, crucified and hanged? But T didn't know?

And you marveled at them and didn’t go blind! Eye, eye!

Not even bachish Ti gliboko!

He describes how thousands of slaves were driven to Siberia, tortured and hanged. Muscovites here are the executors of the bloody will of the empire. The poet asks the All-Seeing Eye why it is silent in the face of such crimes. Russia appears as a machine of repression, where the truth dies under the boot. Shevchenko not only exposes, but also calls for action. In the “Commandment” he writes: Praise and get up, tear up Kaidan and sprinkle the will with the enemy’s evil blood.

This is a direct call to revolt against the invaders.

In the poem \!

Truth is for you, glory is for you and holy will!

Churek and saklya are all yours, Not asked for, not given, I won’t take anyone for mine, I won’t lead you in kaidans.

The poet sees victory in the struggle, where freedom is obtained by force. Even in the most difficult times, Shevchenko believes in the victory of truth. In “To Osnovyanenko” he says: Laugh, you fierce enemy!

But it’s not much better, because it’s all in vain - Glory is no better;

Not more, but tell us what happened in the world, what is true, what is false, and whose children are.

Our thought, our song Don't die, don't perish.

From the people, our glory, Glory to Ukraine!

In his opinion, the Muscovites may temporarily dominate, but the truth about their crimes will remain.

In many works, Shevchenko shows Russia as a force that lulls freedom. He advises not to wait for mercy: Dashing, difficult times, Perhaps you are waiting? Don’t wait for good, Don’t wait for the willing will - She fell asleep: Tsar Mikola fell asleep. And in order to awaken Hirenna’s will, in need of peace, to steel the butt with a bulk, so it’s good to vigostrit the sokira - and then go ahead and wake up.

Otherwise I’ll sleep through myself, godless, until God’s terrible judgment!

The poet called for preparation for a decisive struggle. His words emphasize: peace with the enemy is impossible.

Taras Shevchenko left sharp words about Muscovites and Russia as eternal enemies. In his poetry they are strangers who betray, rob, torture and suppress. Kobzar showed the empire as a machine of evil, where the king and his warriors sow death. At the same time, he called for resistance, believing in the victory of truth and freedom.

On the 212th anniversary of Shevchenko’s birth, his voice continues to sound like a call for invincibility against the invader.