To the participants of a solemn
celebration of the 145th anniversary
of Taras Shevchenko
Society “Prosvita”
Dear friends!
One of the oldest public organizations in Ukraine - Taras Shevchenko Society “Prosvita” celebrates its honourable anniversary – 145 years since its establishment. On December 8, 1868 an association of Ukrainians was established in Lviv, headed by a public and political figure Anatol Vakhnianyn, which soon became one of the most massive, extending its activity not only to Ukraine but far outside its borders.
“To help public education in moral, material, political directions by publishing practical books, brochures, etc. in the language that the nation speaks,” this is how one of the society’s founders, a politician, a public figure, and a publicist, father Stepan Kachala defined objectives and goals of the Society. Active participants of the Society “Prosvita” were Ivan Franko, Lesia Ukrainka, Mykhailo Hrushevskyi, Serhii Yefremov, Mykola Lysenko, Borys Hrinchenko, Mykhailo Kotsiubynskyi, and other prominent figures of Ukrainian culture.
In different times of its existence, the Society changed priorities of its activity. At the beginning, the activity was cultural and educational, when reading rooms of “Prosvita” conducted courses for the illiterate, organized vechornytsi, staged plays, moreover, participated in establishing shops, agricultural, economic and industrial unions, loan and savings banks. Then more attention was paid to publishing. Works of T. Shevchenko, I.Kotliarevskyi, P.Hulak-Artemovskyi, Yu.Fedkovych and S.Rudanskyi were published.
Since the first days, “Prosvita”, as a public cultural and educational organization, became a powerful centre of Ukrainian heritage, a real guardian of the Ukrainian language, culture, traditions, customs and rituals, playing a significant role in revival of national consciousness. Owing to “Prosvita”, Ukrainian printed word covered cultural requirements of Ukrainians all around the globe which helped not only to preserve but also to enrich Ukrainian culture.
Today the All-Ukrainian Society “Prosvita”, headed by the people’s deputy of several convocations Pavlo Movchan, carries out significant state work for the Ukrainian language to assert itself in its main functions and for Ukraine to reach the global heights of education and spirituality.
I wish you good health, inspiration, and new great achievements in your honourable calling!
Volodymyr RYBAK