Two Hundred Hyrvnia Bill - By Karissa

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Lesya Ukrainka

Lesya Ukrainka's real name is actually Larysa Petriva. She was a poet, writer and the only woman to have her picture on a Ukrainian bill of money. Her picture was also put on a stamp and coin. She knew Russian, Polish, German, Bulgarian, English, French, Italian, Latin, Greek and of course Ukrainian.

Lesya was born in Novohrad-Volynskyi, in the Russian Empire, on February 25 1871. Her mother was a Ukrainian writer, publisher and poet. Her father was a well-known Ukrainian scientist, historian, folklorist and a public figure. Lesya was very much like her father, she was tall and had his eyes, build and features. Lesya and her siblings were home schooled by Ukrainian tutors. Her parents had them taught this way to avoid the schools that taught and used only the Russian language. Lesya wrote her first poem at age eight, it was called, Hope. She wrote it because her aunt had taken a political move against the Tsarist autocracy and she was arrested and exiled. Later on that year, Lesya and her entire family moved to Lutsk where her father started building houses for another family in a village nearby. Her uncle, Mykhaylo Drahomanov, encouraged Lesya to learn Ukrainian folk songs, Ukrainian stories and the history of Ukraine, as well as, the Bible because of it inspiring poetry and eternal themes.

Lesya's first published poem was called Lily of the Valley and her first collection of poetry was published in1893. It was called On the Wings of Songs and was smuggled into Kiev because books written in Ukrainian language were forbidden in the Russian Empire. While she was being treated for sickness, she met an official officer, Serhiy Merhzynsky. Although they fell in love they did not marry. Serhiy died on March 3 1901 at Lesya's bedside. That night she wrote the entire dramatic poem of Oderzhyma at his deathbed. Lesya translated the Communist Manifesto into Ukrainian in 1902 and the tsarist police arrested her soon after. After she was released she was put under surveillance. Lesya married a court official in 1907, Kyment Kvitka. They moved to Crimea and then to the country of Georgia.

Lesya died on August 1, 1913 and was buried in Kiev. Since most bills of money have pictures of men on them I was very surprised when I found out that a female is on the Ukrainian 200 hryvna bill. I like Lesya and her family because they were not afraid to oppose the Communists, like when Lesya translated the Communist Manifesto and her aunt took a daring move against the tsarist autocracy.

Here is an example of Lesya's Poetry:

                  Thoughts, away, you heavy clouds of autumn!                 

                  For now springtime comes, a gleam with gold!                

                        Shall thus in grief and wailing for ill fortune,                        

All the tale of my young years be told?

              No, I want to smile through tears and weeping,              

                       Sing my songs where evil holds its sway,                       

 Hopeless, a steadfast hope forever keeping, I want to live! 

You, thoughts of grief,away!

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Lubart Castle

  

         The Lubart Castle is also known as the Lutsk Castle, because it is in the city of Lutsk in western Ukraine.  It is one of the oldest castles in Europe and the main tower is almost one hundred feet tall and thirty feet  thick walls connect the castle's three towers.

                                                                                The Lubart Castle was built in 1340 by Prince Lubart of Lithuania on the same location of the wooden fortress that Prince Volodmyr the Great ordered to be  built. Prince Lubart built this castle with stones and made it his home.  Later on the castle's stone walls were covered with bricks to make it look fancier which should explain why the castle walls are so thick. Even though the castle went through 600 years of attacks it is still in great shape, good enough shape for the festivals and ceremonies that are done at the castle.  In 1429 many rulers from other nations met at this castle to discuss how to keep the Turks from taking over Europe.  This place is where the idea of the European nations to work together was first discussed.  The funny thing is that, although most of these European nations are now part of the European Union, Ukraine, where the idea first came up, is still not                  

               

Even though not all Ukrainians go to visit the Lubart Castle they see it almost every day on the back of the two hundred hryvnia Ukrainian bill.

                                                          

The White Stork

As you can see on the back of the 200 Ukrainian hryvna bill there is also a White Stork.  The White Stork lives all over Ukraine.  They are protected by the law just as eagles are in America.  Their wing span is six feet long and they about four feet tall.   It is a Ukrainian folk belief that storks will bring good luck.  You can also tell what the weather is going to be like by the way they act sometimes.  If the stork is standing on one leg then that means then it will get cold out, and if the stork is restless then bad weather is sure to come.  They usually build their nests on chimneys, poles trees.  Like most storks, the white storks eat fish and small reptiles.  In the winter these storks migrate to Africa in the winter.  White Storks are beautiful and interesting to watch, which is probably why their picture is on the 200 bill.