Sunday, December 3, marked the 301st birthday of the outstanding and world-famous Ukrainian philosopher, poet, teacher – Hryhorii Skovoroda.
Did you know that Hryhorii Skovoroda had Crimean Tatar roots?
The outstanding philosopher was born into a Cossack family. His maternal ancestors were Cossacks of the Kaniv regiment. Skovoroda’s mother herself had a maiden name of Shanhireieva. It is known that in 1650 one of the ancestors of Pelahiia Shanhireieva was Ivan Shanhireiev, a commissioned colonel of the Kanivs regiment. A number of researchers believe that Hryhorii Skovoroda is a direct relative of Shahin Geray, the heir to the throne of the Crimean Khan Mehmed III Geray, who ruled the khanate in 1624 – 1628.
That is, from this one can form the following family chain: Shahin Geray – Stepan Shanhirei – Pelahiia Shan-Geray (Skovoroda) – Hryhorii Skovoroda.
The most interesting thing is that the artist never received a higher education, although he studied Latin, Greek, Church Slavonic, Polish, German and other languages, and eventually became one of the greatest philosophers in the world. Beginning in 1769, Hryhorii Skovoroda began to write his philosophical dialogues, treatises and Aesopian fables. They have survived to this day, although they were not published during Skovoroda’s lifetime.
It is worth noting that Hryhorii Skovoroda defended the rights of the human personality in every person, which at that time meant a strong democratic tendency. Once Catherine II wished to see the famous Ukrainian philosopher in person. He arrived at her invitation to the palace. When the queen entered the reception hall, everyone present bowed, except for Skovoroda.
A number of streets, institutes, several universities, botanical gardens and even an asteroid are named in honor of Hryhorii Skovoroda. The famous writer and poet was also quoted by Pope John Paul II.