Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, took part in the Festivities dedicated to the 170th Anniversary of Birth of Mykhailo Drahomanov
15 September 2011, 17:00
Volodymyr
Lytvyn, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, took part in the festivities
dedicated to the 170th anniversary of birth of Mykhailo Drahomanov held
on Thursday at Taras Shevchenko National Opera House of Ukraine.
Discussing the role of M. Drahomanov in the intellectual and political system of new age, V. Lytvyn emphasized, "No doubt that his figure occupies a leading and a unique place, although it differs from a traditional definition." Mykhailo Drahomanov is a person of outstanding erudition and academic knowledge. He was acknowledged by both his contemporaries and new generations as a democratic, cosmopolite personality, internationalist, liberal and socialist, a believer in a strong state and anarchist, adept of traditional values and modernization ideas follower, V. Lytvyn stated, adding that his ideas were followed by politicians and public figures with not only different but even controversial visions and social ideas. "Citing Drahomanov, nationalists were fighting with Marxists, and Marxists with nationalists. Contemporaries called Drahomanov the first Ukrainian in Europe", the Chair stated.
V. Lytvyn stressed that M. Drahomanov had always defended diversity of cultural, spiritual, research, political and economic practices and contacts, although "he always protected equal rights and unimpeded development of national cultures and languages, Ukrainian, first of all."
The Head of the
Parliament reminded that M. Drahomanov became remarkable in Ukrainian and
European social system because he defended individual rights and liberties, and
severely criticized extremism and terrorism.
"M. Drahomanov never focused his attention on Ukrainian problems only, but always viewed the situation in a broad European and global context, protecting the fact that from the beginning of Kievan Rus, we have been an integral part of the European world, despite the boundary location between Europe and Asia", V. Lytvyn explained. He emphasized that the current orientation of Ukraine towards the European family is the greatest priority for Ukraine, which has been announced in XIX century by M. Drahomanov.
Public figures, politicians, delegates of the Forum of Rectors of European Pedagogical Universities, and students attended the grand assembly.