Abstract
The events of this year’s Medical Shevchenkiana, organised by the Medical Commission of the Shevchenko Scientific Society and Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University, brought together the scientific conference “Our Soul Does Not Die, Our Will Does Not Die. Shevchenko as a Phenomenon” and the formal Academic Ceremony “The Influence of the Kobzar’s Literary Heritage on the Work of Contemporaries and Descendants.”
On March 4, in the reading hall of the Scientific Library of Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University, participants discussed the significance and contemporary relevance of Taras Shevchenko’s prophetic words in today’s world. The speakers included Marta Nadraga, Director of the Library, Candidate of Historical Sciences and Senior Researcher; Professor Zoryana Masna, Head of the Medical Commission of the Shevchenko Scientific Society; Zoryana Ivankiv, Head of the Ivan and Yurii Lypa Club of the Ukrainian Medical Society; Professor Lidiia Boichyshyn, Deputy Head of the Shevchenko Scientific Society; Nataliia Hirna, Candidate of Historical Sciences and Associate Professor; and Taras Kobza, military physician, veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian War, and Associate Professor. The key event of the meeting was the presentation of the bibliographic index “Medical Professionals and Medicine in the Life of Taras Shevchenko” (authors: Svitlana Vasilieva and Olena Kril; edited by Marta Nadraga).
Sophia Loda, a student of the Andrei Krupynsky Lviv Medical Academy, and Oksana Savitska, bandura player, laureate of international and all-Ukrainian competitions, member of the National Kobzar Union of Ukraine, and soloist of the Myroslav Skoryk Lviv National Philharmonic – delighted participants and guests with performances of the Great Kobzar’s finest poetic and musical works.
On March 12, a large audience gathered in the conference hall of the Dental Medical Centre of Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University for the formal Academic Ceremony “The Influence of the Kobzar’s Legacy on the Work of Contemporaries and Descendants.” Guests were welcomed by Head of the Medical Commission of the Shevchenko Scientific Society, Professor Zoryana Masna, and its President, Academician Roman Kushnir. Art historian Roksoliana Kozak, Director of the Ivan Trush Art Memorial Museum, spoke about visions of Shevchenko in Trush’s work, while an unconventional perspective on the legacy of the Great Kobzar was offered by the amateur arts ensembles of Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University: the People’s Choral Ensemble “Musy Hippocrata,” the Ukrainian Jazz Orchestra “Medicus,” and the People’s Dance Ensemble “Horytsvit” named after Zenon Kolobych.
The visual highlight of the Ceremony was a live painting performance by Associate Professor of the Department of Infectious Diseases Olena Zubach, who, drawing inspiration from Shevchenko’s verse, painted “Mallows” – a symbol of home and Ukrainian identity – in real time.