SCULPTURES OF POETS AT ARROW PARK, MONROE, NEW YORK USA

TARAS SHEVCHENKO, 1814-1861
Sculptor: V. Boradai
Architect: A. Ignashchenko

ALEXANDER PUSHKIN, 1799-1837
Sculptor: A. Koualiov
Architect: A. Ignashchenko

WALT WHITMAN, 1819-1892
Sculptor: Bruno Lucchesi

YANKA KUPALA, 1882-1942
Sculptor: A. Anikeichik
Architect: S. Botkovsky

[Online reprint of an original booklet]

FOUR IMMORTALS

Foreword

This booklet is a collection of literary sketches of four world-known poets - Taras Shevchenko, Alexander Pushkin, Wait Whitman and Yanka Kupala. In introducing this booklet, we want to acquaint you with a short history of the monuments to the Four Immortals and Arrow Park where the monuments were erected.

The park itself is situated in the beautiful hills of Upper New York State. One of its powerful attractions is a large lake for fishing, boating and swimming. Its vast wooded areas make for a beautiful resting place for the park's members and their friends. This naturally provided resort complex is complemented by specially built cottages for guests who spend their summers basking in the sun and enjoying the clean fresh air.

Originally purchased by the progressive Russian American community, Arrow Park has presently become the center for other groups, including Ukrainian Americans, Polish Americans and many other nationality groups, in this manner adding an international touch to the whole project.

During the summer months, Arrow Park hosts Ukrainian, Russian and Polish Days, at which the respective cultural groups (choirs, dancers and orchestras) present their programs and popularize the rich cultures of their nations for the benefit of warmly responding diverse audiences.

Guided by the spirit of friendship and cultural relations with their brothers across the ocean, the shareholders of Arrow Park set up a special body, known as the Arrow Park Cultural Project Committee. Its purpose was defined as measures to promote exchanges with the associations for cultural relations which exist in the Ukrainian SSR. the Russian Federation and the Byelorussian SSR.

From the very start, the projected idea was to join efforts with the Ukrainian and Russian cultural societies to build monuments to Taras Shevchenko and Alexander Pushkin, these literary geniuses of the Ukrainian and Russian people who are also known throughout the world for their spirit of humanity and internationalism. The primary consideration of both projects was that they would enable the children of the emigrants and their grandchildren to acquaint themselves with the contributions these literary greats made toward the aspiration of their people for freedom and abundant democratic life.

The committee also planned, along with the erection of the monuments, to build a library-museum which would house works by the two outstanding authors, both in the language of the original and in English. Thus, visitors to the resort would all be able not only to view the monuments, but to get to know of these and other men of letters who continuously spoke out for brotherhood and friendship amongst peoples.

It was with great pride and joy that, on September 6, 1970, the monuments of Taras Shevchenko and Alexander Pushkin were unveiled before thousands of people, including American dignitaries, as well as honored guests and artists representing the Russian and Ukrainian people.

Since then, the Arrow Park Cultural Project Committee has erected the monuments of Walt Whitman, the beloved American poet, and Yanka Kupala, the revered bard of the Byelorussian people.

Currently, the committee is in the process of completing arrangements for the erection of the monument of Adam Mickiewicz, the well-known Polish poet.

Every year since the unveiling of the present monuments, thousands of people come to pay homage to the Four Immortals whose images stand side by side, as though the thread of their love of humanity and their inspired writings continue to weave a web of brotherhood, understanding and peace in our time.

This is how Four Immortals, the title of this booklet, has come about.

For the benefit of the reader, we are including a brief biographical sketch of each of the authors-recognized literary figures who have prepared this very valuable collection which, we hope, will encourage a desire to learn more about the life and work of the Four Immortals.

TARAS SHEVCHENKO

Yevhen Shabliovsky, a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences, Ukr. SSR. Author of a number of literary works among them some fundamental studies of the works of the Great Kobzar. One such highly acclaimed literary contribution is his Humanism of Shevchenko in Our Time, translated into English by Mary Skrypnyk, co-editor of The Ukrainian Canadian, a popular monthly magazine, published in Toronto, Canada.

ALEXANDER PUSHKIN

Nina Krutikova, a leading literary critic. Her specialty is studies of the times and life of this Russian poetic genius. She is a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences, Ukr. SSR, and has written many educational essays, the most popular of which are Literary Relations of the Russian and Ukrainian People, Gogol and Ukrainian Literature, On the Creations of I. S. Nechui-Levytsky, Marko Vovchok: Life and Work.

WALT WHITMAN

Vitafiy Korotych today heads the editorial staff of the magazine Vsesvit (The World). Before embarking upon a literary career, he graduated from Kiev's Medical Institute and spent some time working as a doctor. Later, he changed his professional interests and became a writer. His first book of verse, entitled Golden Hands, hit the shelves in 1961. It was followed by a rapid succession of collections of his poetry, publicistic writings and translations of foreign poets.

YANKA KUPALA

Roman Lubkivsky was recently elected Chairman of Lviv's branch of the Writers' Union, Ukr. SSR. His name became known in Ukrainian literature in 1958. Since then, his works have systematically appeared in journals and magazines, as well as in separate publications. His original collection of poetry met an exceptionally warm response of the critics, let alone the readers, as did his many popular literary writings. He is also known for his translations from Bulgarian, Byelorussian, Slovak and Czech.

MICHAEL HANUSIAK, EMIL SENUK