On the International Day of Nonviolence, on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s 151st birth anniversary, the Embassy of the Republic of India in Kyiv, in cooperation with Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, opened the first monument to Mahatma Gandhi in Ukraine in Fomin Botanical Garden.

The space around the monument is named “Oasis of Peace” in honor of Mahatma’s philosophy. The monument was opened by First Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Emine Dzhaparova, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Andrii Vitrenko, Ambassador of India to Ukraine Partha Satpathy, Vice-Rector for International Cooperation of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Professor Petro Bekh. The event was also attended by the famous poet and Hero of Ukraine Dmytro Pavlychko, members of the diplomatic corps, university professors and students, Indologists and other scientists, as well as friends of India.

Opening the solemn meeting, Vice-Rector Petro Bekh greeted all participants on behalf of academicianLeonid Hubersky, Rector of Shevchenko University. Mr Bekh noted that “the opening of the monument to this Great Man in the University’s Botanical Garden is a manifestation of friendship between our countries. Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv makes a lot of efforts to strengthen relations between Ukraine and India. We are proud of our Indian students and graduates who gain an education in Ukraine and then work for the benefit of their native country.”

First Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Emine Dzhaparova said that “today is a special day for our country, because the name of Mahatma Gandhi is associated with the establishment of peace all over the world, and we, Ukrainians, desperately need it, and we have been fighting for it for six years in Donbas region.”

Ambassador of India to Ukraine Partha Satpathy gave a welcome speech. Mr. Ambassador said “I am glad to be present at this special event. On the birth anniversary of the great Mahatma Gandhi, we are opening his first monument in Ukraine. It will become a symbol of friendly relations between our states. I am grateful to the government of Ukraine, the Kyiv city authorities and the administration of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv for this opportunity.”

Poet Dmytro Pavlychko recited a poem he wrote in 2019 on the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Mahatma Gandhi was the leader of the non-violent movement for Indian independence against British colonial rule. He was born on October 2, 1869 in the state of Gujarat, on the west coast of India. He was a lawyer by profession. His methods of nonviolent resistance, courage, compassion, and pursuit of truth inspired leaders of civil rights and liberties movements around the world. Gandhi became an inspiration for such leaders and luminaries as Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., Ho Chi Minh, Cesar Chavez, George Bernard Shaw, Steve Jobs, John Lennon, Albert Einstein. Mahatma’s philosophy also inspires contemporary figures.

Communications Center

On October 9-10, 2019 in Fomin Botanical Garden, ceremonial events were held on the occasion of the opening of the “Poetry Meadow” and the monument to Kim Sowol.

Sculptural composition “Gate of the Soul. Dialogue between Taras Shevchenko and Du Fu” on the territory of the Botanical Garden was installed in December 2017 in a place that had the unofficial name “reading space”. This small area is a favorite place for many visitors to the Botanical Garden and has now officially received a new name. The grand opening of the “Poetry Meadow” took place on October 9, 2019. Rector of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv L. Hubersky and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Ukraine Du Wei gave a welcome speech.

KNU Rector L. Hubersky said that in the Botanical Garden celebrating its 180th anniversary it is planned to erect monuments to other outstanding classical authors of world literature and culture which will not only decorate the beloved Garden of Kyiv residents and guests of the city, but also encourage the study of literature and history.

The celebration was attended by guests from the National Botanic Garden in Salaspils (Latvia) – director Andrejs Svilans with colleagues who participated in the opening of the Latvian Square in Kyiv the day before.

On October 10, a monument to Kim Sowol, an outstanding Korean poet of the 20th century who lived and created praising the identity and feelings of the Korean people in traditional rhythms, was opened in the Botanical Garden. Rector of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv L. Hubersky and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Korea to Ukraine Kwon Ki-Changtook part in the opening ceremony of the monument.

The event was opened by the Head of the Department of Languages and Literatures of the Far East and Southeast Asia, Professor I. Bondarenko, who for the second time published a collection of Kim Sowol’s poems translated into Ukrainian.

Rector of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv L. Hubersky emphasised that the Botanical Garden, which is located in the centre of the capital, should become a center of culture in the city of Kyiv.

During the presentation of the monument, the Director of the Centre for training future specialists in Korean philology at Korea University (Seoul) Cho Hochol gave a welcome speech. The Korean Professor said “I believe that the new cultural monument for Kyiv, the monument to Kim Sowol, will become another great milestone for exchange in the field of culture and humanitarian sciences between South Korea and Ukraine”. Ukrainian sculptor Mykhailo Ishchenko who created the monument to Kim Sowol was also present at the event. KNU students prepared a small concert that made a great impression on all participants of the ceremony.

Department of the Environmental and Educational work

Fomin Botanical Garden