Svobody (freedom) square

Kharkiv main square is the largest square in Ukraine and one of the largest in Europe.

This is the venue of festivals, concerts, fairs, rallies, meetings, and other public events. The central part of square is occupied by the State Industry Building or Derzhprom. This is one of city’s unique architectural and historic sights. It was built in 1925-1928 to become the first high-rise building in the country. The Derzhprom consists of a group of blocks connected by passages running on different levels. The building was designed by architects S.Serafimov, S.Kravets, and M.Feldher. The construction work was headed by prominent civil engineer and academician of architecture P.Rottert.

To the left of the Derzhprom is the building of the Kharkiv National University named after V.Karazin, one of the oldest and largest higher educational institutions founded in 1805. The University building has about 2,500 lecture rooms and laboratories.

A monument to the University founder V.Karazin is located nearby on the side of the Shevchenko Gardens. The monument was designed by sculptor I.M.Andreoletti and architect A.I.Beketov in 1906.

An eight-story building of the Hotel “Kharkiv” also faces the Svobody Square.

The square’s architectural ensemble is completed by the building of the Oblast Council of People’s Deputies erected in 1954 on site of the old one destroyed by Nazis during the war. The building was designed by architects V.Orekhov and V.Kostenko.

On the grounds of the T.Shevchenko Gardens there is an astronomical observatory of the Kharkiv National University founded in 1808. Scientists study solar processes, observe planets of the solar systems and satellites. For many years, the observatory was headed by a prominent scholar Academician N.P. Barabashov. In recent yeas, his name is more often associated with the Metro station named after this prominent scientist and Ukraine’s largest Barabashov Market. So, the T.Shevchenko Gardens provide an opportunity to recall who really was Academician Barabashov.

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The monument to t.G. Shevchenko

The monument is a multifigured composition. The bronze figure of T. Shevchenko dominates over 16 figures. The statue is full of dynamics. Powerful inner force is seen in the whole statue: in a slightly bent head, in the energetic gesture of the right hand clenched in a fist, in the strong-willed wrinkle between eyebrow and in a severe and angry stare. The brightly expressed sculpture may be learned easily even from the large distance. The figures which twine round the pedestal are two times smaller than that of Shevchenko. They are seen better from a small distance. Actors of Kharkiv theatre ‘Beresil’ N.M. Uzhviy, A.M. Buchma, I.A. Maryanenko, A.I. Serdyuk and others helped the sculptor very much in creating the figures similar to Shevchenko’s images. The monument symbolizes people’s struggle against oppressors and glorifies free labour and the youth of new Ukraine.

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The ukrainian language

According to the Constitution, Ukrainian is the state language of sovereign independent Ukraine. It is also spoken by Ukrainians living in other countries of the former Soviet Union and in Ukrainian diasporas in Canada, Australia, the USA, Great Britain and other countries of the world. Ukrainian is an independent and original unit of the Slavic branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Together with Russian and Byelorussian it forms the East Slavic group of languages.

The history of the Ukrainian language is divided into three periods:

1) the old period (10 – 12^th centuries), when the basic literary language of Kievan Rus was Church Slavonic, to which popular elements were added slowly but regularly;

2) the middle period (14 – 18^th centuries), when the so-called literary language of the 17^th century was formed which was a mixture of different elements. Russian influence and pressure put an end to this development and led to its decline in the second half of the 18^th century.

3) the modern period (19 – 20^th centuries), when the literary language was reconstructed and based entirely on the popular language.

The fact that the literary Ukrainian language did not develop in urban centres and for the most part is based on the variety spoken in the countryside, has largely determined the peculiarities of its vocabulary which includes a lot of words and phraseological units describing village life and work, folklore, emotionally coloured elements, etc.

Under the Soviet power the linguistic policy for Ukraine was at first Russifying. Then from 1926 up to 1930, the so-called “Ukranization” policy was introduced. At that time much was done in preparing and publishing new dictionaries, opening Ukrainian schools, theatres, cinemas and newspapers. But then the general policy was changed again, and “de-Ukrainization” began which lasted practically till the time of “perestroika”. During that period the majority of Ukrainian philologists and a number of writers and poets who fought for the rights of the Ukrainian language, found themselves in exile or in prison.

Now that Ukraine is independent, the Ukrainian language, traditions and culture are experiencing their rebirth.

according to – відповідно до

Slavic – слов’янський

influence – вплив

pressure – тиск

decline – занепад

entirely – цілком

urban – міський

peculiarities – особливості

exile – вигнання, заслання

rebirth – відродження

1. Decide if the following statements are true or false.

1. Ukrainian is the only state language of Ukraine.

2. The Ukrainian language is widely spread abroad.

3. Ukrainian belongs to the Indo-European family of languages.

4. Ukrainian is closely related to the languages of Poland and Hungary.

5. The literary Ukrainian language developed mostly in the countryside.

6. Under the Russifying policy new dictionaries were prepared and published, Ukrainian schools, theatres and cinemas opened.

7. “Ukranization” policy was introduced from 1926 up to 1930.

8. Before the time called “perestroika” the Ukrainian language, traditions and culture were experiencing their rebirth.

2. Answer the following questions.

1. What is written about the Ukrainian language in the Constitution of Ukraine?

2. Where is Ukrainian spoken?

3. What language family and group does Ukrainian belong?

4. How many periods of the history of the Ukrainian language do you know?

5. What happened to the Ukrainian language during its early period?

6. What language influenced on Ukrainian greatly during the Middle ages?

7. When did the modern period of the Ukrainian language start?

8. Was the Ukrainian language mostly spoken in towns or in the countryside?

9. What was done during the “Ukrainization” policy?

10. What was the destiny of the Ukrainian language and literature from the 1930^th up to the “perestroika”?

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