Mykola Tomenko: If the Situation does not change, Taras Shevchenko´s Poem "Kateryna" might be prohibited on the eve of the 150th Anniversary of his Reburial in Ukraine
Asked about the state of the freedom of speech in Ukraine, Mykola Tomenko, Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, declared that not only restriction of the freedom of speech, but also restrictions in broad sense such as restrictions of the freedom of expression, opinion, or religious liberty, should be discussed.
As an example, he mentioned the situation with Desiatynna church, when the priests of Moscow Patriarchate neglect the stand of the Prime Minister and other dignitaries, and referring to the President of Ukraine, declare their intentions to continue construction of a huge building on the premises of a historical and the most famous Christian monument of Kyivan Rus.
M. Tomenko also considers it inappropriate for the politicians or the police to search for the allegedly intolerant expressions in the works of a famous writer Maria Matios or anybody else. "There is a joke on the Internet, that if the situation does not change, Taras Shevchenko´s poem "Kateryna" might be prohibited on the eve of the 150th anniversary of his reburial in Ukraine, because it starts with the lines "Fall in love, O dark-browed maidens, But not with the Moscali", which may not be appreciated by the authorities. Still, many a true word is spoken in a jest", the Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine admitted.