‘BARD OF THE UKRAINE’

All Ukrainian - Canadians
honor memory of Shevchenko

HIS MONTH the Ukrainian
people in the
itself and throughout the
in Canada and the
American

Ukraine

world,
Latin countries,
wherever they have settled.
commemorate the birth and
death of their great poet and
fighter for the national rights
for all peoples, Taras Shev-
chenko (1814-1861).

Just as generations of. Scot-
tish immigrants have carried
with them the immortal works

of Robert Burns and _ per-
petuated his memory in this
still young land, so Ukrain-
tan immigrants have honored
the man whose life and work
reflected his passionate love
of the people.

His words, “Learn from
other folks, but never spurn
your own,” served them as
a guide during their pioneer
years in Canada when they
were breaking the prairie soil
and building settlements in
the wilderness. His name was
given to their first circles and
institutions.

Today. as a symbol! of their
pride and feeling a monument
to Shevchenko stands at. Peler-
mo, Ontario, the gift of the
people of the ‘Ukraine to
Ukrainians in Canada, erected
by progressive Ukrainian or-
ganizations across this coun-
try.

$e x $e

Shevchenko lived, created
and struggled in a very dif-
ferent period of Ukrainian his-
tory. Thé Ukrainian nations
was enslaved by Russian
ezarism and feudal landlords.
Himself a serf. Shevchenko
overcame great difficulties,
even serfdom, suffered im-

A Centennial
Calendar Event

SHEVCHENKO CONCERT

Tribute to the Bard of the Ukraine

SUNDAY, MARCH 23 — 8 P.M.
INTERNATIONAL CINEMA

765 GRANVILLE

e 200 performers in a colorful program of music,

song and dance

Sponsored by Ukrainian Centennial Committee

prisonment and long exile and
made an immeasureable con-
tribution to the struggle for a
better life and freedom of his
own people, a better. and hap-
pier life for’ all people.

Shevchenko’s works played
a great role in the develop-
ment of Ukrainian culture,
and he was. in fact the
founder of modern- Ukrainian
iiterature.

A deep hatred for the enem-

ies of the toiling people,
hatred of autocracy and feud-
alism, form the main motiva-
works. This

hatred Shevchenko poured.out

tion: 08 his

as he fought the enemies of
his enslaved people and ex-
posed the feudal system.
Loving his country and his
people, he called for implac-
able struggle against oppres-
sors, against the entire feudal-
bureaucratic system of czar-
ist Russia.

A flaming patriot of his
fatherland, tireless fighter for
the freedom of his people
from under the feudal yoke.
Shevchenko was an _ inexor-
able foe of all oppression of
man by man. He fought not
only for the freedom of the
Ukrainian people—he fought
against all national oppres-
sion. To him the Russian, Pole,
Czech; Tartar, “all wene
brothers,

The theme of friendship
and unity of Slavic peoples
finds its expression in many
poems, as does his strong be-
lief in the bright future of
mankind, which will come
only with the brotherly unity

of all peoples, freed from na-.

tional oppression and exploit-
ation.

STREET

Shevchenko’s views on the
role of poets and poetry were
formulated under the influ-
ence of the leading Russian
literature of his day especially
the critical essays of V. G.
Belinsky. Together -with the
Russian revolutionary demo-
crats, Shevchenko fought for
an art that was realistic, revo-
lutionary and active — an
art that would teach the peo-
ple to “travel along the right
path.” To him the word was
a sharp -weapon placed in the
service of the people, and his
call for the peace and friend-
ship of all peoples rings as
clearly today as when he
made it.

Shevchenko cannot be sepa-
rated from the Ukrainians in
Canada. He is one of them,
for they brought his living
memory with them. The rich
and varied heritage of his
works, his endless productive
labors, imbued with the living
ideals of struggle against ex-
ploitation, for social and na-
tional freedom of all people,
know no borders.

JOHN CHITRENKY

5 recat
This is the memorial statue of Taras Shevchenk® aie

sented by the people of the Ukraine, which now stands i?

park at Palermo, Ontario.

BRITISH COLUMBIA: THE PEOPLE’S STORY

Pacific Tribune will publishil

new series on B.C. history

NEW Centennial series en-

titled British Columbia: The
People’s Story will start in
our next issue, March 28.

Hal Griffin will trace the
story from the earliest days
of exploration and settlement
through the struggles for re-
sponsible government and
entry into Confederation to
the founding of the trade
union movement and the first
socialist organizations.

From there other writers will
take up the story with articles
on the great strike struggles
of the first two decades of
this century and the issues
which gave shape to the
modern socialist movement.

This series is a part of the
Pacific Tribune’s own Centen-
nial contribution, which also
includes publication of a
special Canada Day issue.

Among articles being pre-
pared for’the Canada Day is-
sue is one on the Vancouver
Post Office sitdown of the un-
employed in 1938 — this year
is the 20th anniversary of
“Bloody Sunday.”

’ The Pacific Tribune hopes to
be able to publish a selection

‘of these and other articles in

booklet form this summer to
meet, if only in a partial way,

the long-felt need for a
people’s history of this prov-
ince. The few histories of
British Columbia available,
most of them now out of
print, ignore or distort labor’s
long struggle and rich tradi-

‘ limited edition of 1,200 oe

tions, and the only labor ie,
tory yet written, Bill Bea
nett’s Builders of Britis
lumbia, was published

in 1938 and is now unob
able.

A popular gathering place for the miners, loggers ye
fishermen who formed the working class population of ©
Vancouver was this maple tree on Carrall Street.

March 21, 1958 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PAGE *

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