Speaking at the Parliament on Wednesday, Mykola Tomenko, Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine reminded that this day 150 years ago, the funeral processions with the body of Taras Shevchenko arrived to Kyiv. "Officials were confused: it was impossible to ban the last respects, but they were afraid to allow it," he stated. "150 years has passed, but nothing has changed, as Ukrainian officials have to commemorate Shevchenko, do not want to respect him, and are still afraid to advocate his ideas," M.Tomenko admitted.
M.Tomenko informed that the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine delegation headed by the Chairman of the Parliament, together with the speakers of parliaments of Russia and Kazakhstan, commemorated the Great Kobzar in Saint Petersburg, while executive and local authorities in Ukraine failed to celebrate this event at all. The Deputy Chairman stressed that not a single paragraph from the President´s Decree or The Verkhovna Rada Resolution has been implemented.
M.Tomenko summed up that attitude of the officials towards Taras Shevchenko had remained the same. However, he hopes that the situation will change.