Both Shevchenko’s Testament and Registration of the National Reserve in Kaniv in the UNESCO List of World Cultural Natural Heritage Sites Still Remain a Fantasy

That the mighty girth of acres,
Dnieper’s craggy shores,
I may gaze on….(Paul Selver Translation)

Taras Shevchenko Museum located on Chernecha Hill in Kaniv has been closed for visitors for the last five years. The reconstruction is taking place and it is said that 50 million gryvnyas have already been spent on it. The building of the museum surrounded by the green fence is a ruin which can hardly become a pearl of the National Reserve in the nearest future. 

Everything started in 2000 with the intention to put the large-scale program of its development into life. The program foresees complete overhaul of the buildings located in the reserve in order to approach to the root idea of the architects Vasyl Krychevskyi and Petro Kostyrka to the full extent. It also foresees the rehabilitation of the territory of the Lower Park and the access road reconstruction.  

  Shevchenko National Reserve in Kaniv was founded in 1925 by the Decree of the Board of National Commissioners of the USSR “About Recognition of the Territory of Shevchenko’s Grave the State Reserve” with a view of memorial protection. On November, 21,1989

 the Reserve got the status of National in accordance with the Decree of the Board of Ministers of the USSR and it was approved by the Decree of the President of Ukraine on October, 11, 1994.

The first museum “Taras’ House” was located in the house of Ivan Yadlovskyi who was the keeper of the grave of Taras Shevchenko in 1884-1933. Ivan Yadlovskyi knew the poet personally and participated in the burial process on Chernecha Hill.

On June, 18, 1939 the grand opening of one of the best creations of Vasyl Krychevskyi and his follower Petro Kostyrka – the National Museum-Monument (its first name) - took place. The museum was being built during extremely difficult and tragic period for Ukraine, during the years of Holodomor and repressions. In 1933 the longstanding keeper of Shevchenko’s grave Ivan Yadlovskyi died because of famine. During the construction there were the authority interfered constantly and finally banned the author to receive the right on the completion of his creative idea. And it resulted in the commitment of many errors and deviations from the initial project. After the Kaniv Taras Shevchenko Literary Memorial Museum had been opened, V. Krychevskyi was awarded, though, with the degree of Doctor of Arts and the Title of Honored Art Worker of the USSR.

During the period of the Great Patriotic War almost all two thousand exposition were destroyed. Only 10 exhibit items remained whole. Within the walls of the museum German people made labour camp for imprisoned children. The building damaged in 17 places already in 1944 received first quests and within two (!) years the museum restarted its work completely.

The Shevchenko National Reserve is the world-famous cultural, research and development and tourism center on the study and popularization of the creative works of Taras Shevchenko. And, being the cultural site, it claims on entering in the UNESCO List of World Cultural Natural Heritage Sites.

On March, 9, 2014 Ukraine and the whole world will be celebrating the 200 anniversary since Taras Shevchenko’s birthday.

On March, 10, 2011 it will be 150 years since the poet’s death-day.