Mykola Tomenko, the Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine visited Cherkasy and Poltava regions on 8 January, where he, as a Chairman of the organizational committee on V. Symonenko 75th anniversary of birth, took part in the celebrations on the occasion of the poet birth.
In the course of the celebration, M. Tomenko criticized the present authority for the impropriate level of 75th birth anniversary celebration. "Despite the fact the relevant institutions have not reacted on the today´s date, the public organizational committee together with the Cherkasy regional council and Lubny regional council of the Poltava region have planed and conducted celebration dedicated to the poet anniversary", - he stated.
M. Tomenko reminded that during the Soviet times, M. Tomenko was one of the most popular people´s poets, whose poems were subjected to censorship but were also well known among citizens.
M. Tomenko deems shameful the fact certain mass media even have not mentioned in the course of their programs the birth anniversary of the prominent poet; he reminded that the First National Television Channel related in the course of the news program on the 75th jubilee of Elvis Presley but have not even mentioned V. Symonenko.
In Tarandyntsi village school, which was attended by V. Symonenko, the Vasyl Symonenko regional literary-artistic award nomination was held. Moreover, M. Tomenko announced that Cherkasy regional council repaired the editorial office of "Cherkasky Krai" where the poet have started his journalistic work. "Symonenkovsky chytannia" were held in Cherkasy National University. "It is inadmissible that the relevant ministries and establishments have forgotten the eminent writer and the Cherkasy city administration and city council have been promising for the several years already to establish the poet´s monument", - M. Tomenko declared.
Chairman of the organizational committee on V. Symonenko 75th birth anniversary informed that except certain occasions in Vasyl Symonenko native places, his lyrics sounds "alive" when the new edition of audio disc "Lebedi Materynstva" was presented.