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Shevchenko’s Poetry Translated into Bengali for the First Time

Shevchenko’s Poetry Translated into Bengali for the First Time

To mark the 211th anniversary of Taras Shevchenko’s birth, the first-ever Bengali translation of his poetry collection has been published in India, translator Mridula Ghosh announced on her Facebook page on March 9.

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Maryna Kulakova
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The cover of the first-ever Bengali translation of Taras Shevchenko's poetry collection, translated by Mridula Ghosh. (Source: Mridula Ghosh via Facebook)
The cover of the first-ever Bengali translation of Taras Shevchenko's poetry collection, translated by Mridula Ghosh. (Source: Mridula Ghosh via Facebook)

The book was released by Jadavpur University Press, making it the first adaptation of Shevchenko’s works from Ukrainian into any South Asian language. The edition is illustrated with Shevchenko’s own paintings, and Ghosh expressed gratitude to the archives and digital resources of the Taras Shevchenko National Museum.

“In these trying times, the National Museum of Shevchenko does everything to keep the flame burning. My attempt could not have been successful without access to archives and digital resources for illustrations,” Ghosh wrote.

The image shows a dedication page from the first-ever Bengali translation of Taras Shevchenko’s poetry collection. The text is written in three languages—Bengali, English, and Ukrainian—dedicating the book "To the Brave and Resilient People of Ukraine." (Source: Mridula Ghosh via Facebook)
The image shows a dedication page from the first-ever Bengali translation of Taras Shevchenko’s poetry collection. The text is written in three languages—Bengali, English, and Ukrainian—dedicating the book "To the Brave and Resilient People of Ukraine." (Source: Mridula Ghosh via Facebook)
This page includes a foreword by Serhii Plokhii, Director of the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute and author of The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine. Plokhii acknowledges Shevchenko’s role as the father of modern Ukrainian literature and underscores the importance of this translation as an act of anti-colonial solidarity between Ukraine and Bengal. (Source: Mridula Ghosh via Facebook)
This page includes a foreword by Serhii Plokhii, Director of the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute and author of The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine. Plokhii acknowledges Shevchenko’s role as the father of modern Ukrainian literature and underscores the importance of this translation as an act of anti-colonial solidarity between Ukraine and Bengal. (Source: Mridula Ghosh via Facebook)

“The idea was to have this publication illustrated by Shevchenko’s art works only. I sincerely thank the Director of the Museum, Dmytro Stus, son of the legendary dissident poet of Ukraine Vasyl Stus, and Senior Researcher of Funds and Archives of the Museum, Tamara Kholosha for their immense help.”

The book’s foreword was written by historian Serhii Plokhii and former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko. Ghosh also thanked Abhijit Gupta, the director of Jadavpur University Press, for his support.

This page features a foreword written by Viktor A. Yushchenko, former President of Ukraine (2005–2010). He highlights the inseparable connection between Shevchenko’s poetry and Ukraine’s identity, emphasizing the significance of this Bengali translation in strengthening cultural ties between Ukraine and India. (Source: Mridula Ghosh via Facebook)
This page features a foreword written by Viktor A. Yushchenko, former President of Ukraine (2005–2010). He highlights the inseparable connection between Shevchenko’s poetry and Ukraine’s identity, emphasizing the significance of this Bengali translation in strengthening cultural ties between Ukraine and India. (Source: Mridula Ghosh via Facebook)

The book is now available for purchase in India through Pratikshan, Dey’s, Baibhashik, and online via Flipkart.

Recently, a collection of romances was composed based on the poetry of Taras Shevchenko and Lesia Ukrainka. In 2021, Shevchenko’s poem “Zapovit” (Eng. Testament) became the most-translated Ukrainian literary work and ranked among the top five most-translated books in the world.

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