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Hryhorii Skovoroda
Hryhorii Skovoroda was born on
December 3, 1722. He was a philosopher,
poet, writer and teacher born in the Russian Empire approximately one hundred
miles east of the Ukrainian capital, Kiev. He appears on the 500 Ukrainian
Hryvnia bill and is sometimes referred to as the Socrates of Ukraine.
Hryhorii
Skovoroda went to school at the Kiev-Mohyla Academy, although his education was
interrupted several times. First, he was taken to sing in the Russian Imperial
Choir which kept him out of schooling from 1741 to 1744. He returned to the
Mohyla Academy, but his education was soon interrupted again. This time he was
taken to be a music director in Hungary from 1745-50. After returning from Hungary he once again
went back to the academy. After
completing only two years of a four year theology course, his education was
interrupted again when he decided to leave the academy, to tutor V. Tomara for
seven years. Skovoroda spent his next ten years teaching Poetics, Syntax and
Greek at the Kharkiv College. After being
dismissed from the college, Skovoroda gave up trying to find a stable job. He spent the rest of his life walking around
eastern Ukraine staying with different friends.
Not having a job allowed to focus on his writing and reflect upon
philosophy. Many of his writings and
poems were dedicated and given to his friends.
Skovoroda
wrote poems, songs, fables, and works on philosophy. His works were never
famous during his life time. However,
about one hundred years later some poets took an interest in and were inspired
by some of his works. In 1894, some of his collections were finally
published.
Although
he was a writer, Skovoroda was better known as a philosopher. He was against the Russian Orthodox Church,
but many of his beliefs were also not consistent with the Bible. Although he wrote a treatise on Christian morality,
he actually seemed to have come up with his own religion and philosophy of
life.
Although
he is not one of the most well known writers, it is said that Hryhorii
Skovoroda's works helped in the rebirth of Ukrainian culture in the 20th
century which could be why his picture was put on the 500 hryvnia bill.
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Kiev Mohyla Academy
One of the Kiev Mohyla Academy buildings can be seen on the
back of the 500 Ukrainian Hryvnia Bill.
This academy has gone through many changes since its beginning nearly
four hundred years ago and is one of the oldest academic schools in Eastern
Europe.
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Time is running,
Academy is eternal – Academy motto
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The place where the Kiev Mohyla Academy is began asr a
monastery, hospital and school for children in the early 1600's. The academy was founded by and named after
Petro Mohyla in 1632.
After a short
period of time it became a college and students from many European countries
were attending this school in the 1600's and 1700's. The Zaporozhian Cossack leader, Ivan Mazera
attended the Kiev Mohyla Academy. In the
mid 1700's, the famous Ukrainian philosopher Hryhorii Skovoroda, who appears on
the front of the 500 Ukrainian Hryvnia bill also studied at this school. In 1763, Russian ruler, Catherine the Great,
forbid the school forbidden from Ukrainian-language teaching.
In 1994 it was given the highest university
accreditation and in 2008 this academy became the first Doctoral school in
Ukraine with western-style structured PhD programs. Today the academy is called The National
University of Kiev-Mohyla Academy. This
university is bilingual using both Ukrainian and English languages.
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| Skovoroda monument |
There is a monument of Skovoroda in front of the
academy. Each year the academy students
clean this monument on Academy Day, October 15th. The Kiev Mohyla Academy building has gone
through an interesting history as it went from children’s schools to one of the
few universities in Ukraine that offers internationally recognized degree
programs.
