Markian Shashkevych
Markian Semenovich Shashkevych (1811 – 1843) – Ukrainian poet.
He was born November 6, 1811 in the village (now Zolochiv district, Lviv region) in the family of priest. Secondary education he received in Berezhany school, higher – at Lviv University and the Lviv Theological Seminary, which ended in 1838.
The only way of life for educated Ukrainian (especially priest's son) in then Galicia, under the Austrian Empire, was a priest. Shashkevych short time was a priest in (1838, now Busk district), then – (1838 – 1841, now Radekhiv district) and (1841 – 1843, now Busk district, all three villages – in the Lviv region). His service was held in great poverty, among whom he died of tuberculosis June 7, 1843.
M.Shashkevych's tomb at the Lviv cemetery
In 1893, the remains of the poet was moved to Lychakiv Cemetery in Lviv. Please be aware that lifetime portraits of M.Shashkevych never been done; the images are now distributed as "portraits of M.Shashkevych" are actually a fantasy artists on the theme – how could look like a poet.
Literary work Shashkevych started in Lviv at the time of study at the seminary. Together with his friends – Jakiv Holovatsky and Ivan Vahylevych – Markiian began writing poetry in Ukrainian, interest in folklore and literature of Ukrainian and other Slavic peoples. In the eyes of the authorities, this activity of "Ruthenian Triad" (as later became known these young Ukrainians) looked suspicious and even led police searches.
With great affliction friends had published in 1837 a small literary collection "Mermaid of Dnister." Because of censorship obstacles it had to type in Budapest, but the party of books sent to the Lviv was confiscated by local censorship and only released to freedom in 1848. To send a book in the world, had shaken the whole of Europe with revolutions and to overthrow two – three governments…
Becoming a priest, Shashkevych not abandon literary work, but all he wrote in this period did not saw the light on his life and was published much later.
Literary heritage of Shashkevych quantitatively very small, but we should appreciate he as the first of the new times Ukrainian writer in Galicia, as the first figure, which began cultural Reconquista Galicia in favor of Ukraine.
M. Zh., February 9, 2015.