Vasyl Stus was a Ukrainian poet, prose writer, translator, thinker, literary critic, human rights activist, dissident, member of the Ukrainian Helsinki Group, fighter for Ukraine's independence in the twentieth century, laureate of the Taras Shevchenko National Prize of Ukraine, and Hero of Ukraine.
On January 23, the Vinnytsia Regional Universal Scientific Library named after V. Otamanovsky hosted a literary and artistic evening “Vasyl Stus - Fighter, Poet, Legend” on the occasion of the 87th anniversary of Vasyl Stus' birth, which was held as part of the traditional Stus readings. The event was attended by 20 students of Vinnytsia Higher Vocational School of Services.
The Stusiv readings began with a symbolic candle of remembrance lit in honor of the outstanding poet and fighter and all Ukrainians who gave their lives for the freedom, independence and liberty of Ukraine.
The event was attended by: Dmytro Stus, writer, literary critic, PhD in Philology, Director General of the National Museum of Taras Shevchenko, son of Vasyl Stus (online); Olha Punina, PhD in Philology, Associate Professor of the Department of Theory and History of Ukrainian and World Literature at Donbas National University (online); Vasyl Stus, writer; and Vasyl Stus, writer; Iryna Zelenka and Viktor Krupka, PhD in Philology, associate professors of the Department of Ukrainian Literature at the M. Stelmakh Faculty of Philology and Journalism of the Kotsiubynskyi VDPU, writers, literary critics; Volodymyr Lazarenko, head of the Department of Ukrainian Studies at the Vinnytsia Academy of Continuing Education; Vadym Vitkovskyi, writer and publicist, head of the Vinnytsia Regional.
Poems by Vasyl Stus and poems dedicated to the poet from Vinnytsia were recited by: Vinnytsia writers, members of the NUWU - Zhanna Dmytrenko, Larysa Sychko, Zoya Krasulyak; a serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, member of the Association of Pop Art Workers Vitaliy Kyrnytskyi; a student of the Pohrebyshche Lyceum No. 1, a member of the literary and artistic studio “Silver Chime” of the All-Ukrainian Society “Enlightenment named after Taras Shevchenko” Anna Iryna Melnyk. Anna-Iryna Melnyk, member of the literary and artistic studio “Silver Chime”.
Musical compositions based on Vasyl Stus's words were performed by Nina Koval-Begas, founder and director of the folk vocal ensemble “Oberih”, assistant of the Department of Art Disciplines of the Voloshyna Faculty of Preschool and Primary Education of the Kotsiubynskyi State Pedagogical University, and her father Oleksandr Koval, a local historian and history teacher at Hnivan Gymnasium #2.
The patriotic song “Ukraine, Ukraine, Our Land is Dear to Us!” was performed by Yosyp Mashtalar, soloist of the Vinnytsia Regional Philharmonic named after M. Leontovych (accompanied by Yurii Lopatiuk, artist of the Philharmonic).
For all those who admire the artist's work, the hall presented a book exhibition “The Fate, Life and Poetry of Vasyl Stus” prepared by the staff of the Humanities, Technical and Natural Sciences Department of the regional library.
At the end of the event, its organizers expressed their gratitude to everyone who took part in the January Stus readings and honored the memory of our great countryman and patriot of Ukraine - Vasyl Stus!
