Outstanding People of Ukraine

There are many famous people in Ukraine who have following not only in their own country but also in other parts of the world. Their achievements may encompass a variety of fields: religion, politics, war, art, theatre, literature, business, aeronautics, sports, etc. Here is a short list of people who left their traces in the history of our country.

Yaroslav the Wise (about 978-1054) – statesman, grand prince of Kyiv Rus.

Anna Yaroslavna (between 1024 and 1032-1075) – daughter of Prince Yaroslav the Wise. In 1060 she became a regent. Together with her son Fillip I she signed many documents that influenced the development of Kyiv Rus. Volodymyr Sviatoslavovych (?-1015) – grand prince of Kyiv (reigned in 980-1015). He completed the process of unification of the Eastern Slavic principalities into Kyiv Rus and introduced Christianity as a state religion.

Mykhailo Hrushevskyi (1866-1934) – outstanding statesman of Ukraine, Head of the Central Council in 1917-1918. He was a scientist of the International standard. More than two thousand of works on history, sociology, literature, ethnography and folklore issued from his pen.

Mykola Hohol (1809-1852) – writer, dramatist. He is one of the most complicated writers of the world. The books written by him are so mysterious that gain a great interest among millions of readers. Taras Shevchenko (1814-1861) – poet, artist. Talent works of Shevchenko is a unique phenomenon in the history of Ukrainian literature, spiritual culture in general and in the literary language as well. His poetry stated important social ideas of equality and fraternity of sovereign nations, formation of humane society, developing the best human beings’ qualities, attracting attention of people of Ukraine to the present and past of their homeland. Lesia Ukrainka (1871-1913) – poetess, translator. She is a highly respected person in Ukraine. She is a genius author who has created a great amount of masterpieces of poetry filled with love to Ukraine. The life of the poetess is a legendary deed of a wise and courageous woman.

Mykola Lysenko (1644-1709) – composer, pianist, pedagogue, chorus conductor, prominent public figure, creator of the Ukrainian classical music. Ivan Karpenko-Karyi (real surname Tobilevych; 1845-1907) – playwright, actor, prominent theatrical figure, one of the initiators of the Ukrainian theatre.

Illia Mechnykov (1845-1916) – biologist, one of the creators of embryology, comparative pathology, immunology and microbiology. He formulated theory of phagocytosis, investigated problems of immunity, inflammation, infectious diseases. For discovering phagocytosis (1882) he was awarded Nobel Prize in 1908. Ivan Puliui (1845-1918) was a famous Ukrainian physicist and electric engineer. He was championed as an early developer of X-ray machine prototype (14 years before Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen’s invention). He was the first one in the world practice who could manage to do an X-ray of a broken arm of dead-born child’s skeleton. Sergii Koroliov (1907-1966), born in Zhytomyr, was the most outstanding public figure of the 20^th century in space rocket production and shipbuilding. Olexander Shalimov (1918-2006) was a prominent surgeon, one of the founders of the Ukrainian surgery school. He invented new operation methods for digestive apparatus (for the first time in history he managed to transplant pancreas to diabetic), heart and oncological diseases. He headed the first in Ukraine heart transplantation operation. In 1998 the International Chamber of the American Biographical Institute recognized Shalimov as a Man of the Planet.

 

1. What statesman of Kyiv Rus introduced Cristianity as a state religion?

2. What was Mykhailo Hrushevskyi?

3. What writer is considered to be one of the most complicated and mysterious one?

4. What was Taras Shevchenko’s contribution to the Ukrainian literature?

5. Lessia Ukrainka is a prominent and highly respected poetess who has created a great amount of masterpieces, isn’t she?

6. Who was a creator of the Ukrainian classical music?

7. Was Ivan Karpenko-Karyi a playwright or a scientist?

8. What is Illia Mechnykov famous for?

9. What prominent Ukrainian physicist and electric engineer developed an X-ray machine prototype?

10. What Ukrainian surgeon was recognized as a Man of the Planet by the International Chamber of the American Biographical Institute?

 

Vocabulary and Speech Exercises

I. Give English equivalents of the following words and word-combinations.

Досягнення, які стосуються різних сфер життя; залишити слід в історії; великий князь; східно-слов’янські князівства; Центральна Рада; завоювати велику зацікавленість; унікальне явище в історії літератури; духовна культура; високоповажна особистість; визначний громадський діяч; винахід; рентген зламаної руки; космічна ракета; засновник хірургічної школи; пересадити підшлункову залозу; очолити операцію.

 

II. Say if the following statements are true or false. Correct the false statements to make them true.

1. There are many famous people in Ukraine who have following not only in their own country but also in other parts of the world.

2. Anna Yaroslavna and her son Volodymyr I signed many documents that influenced the development of Kyiv Rus.

3. More than two thousand of works on history, sociology, literature, ethnography and folklore issued from Mykhailo Hrushevskyi’s pen.

Mykola Hohol was a prominent poet.

5. Mykola Lysenkowas a composer, pianist, pedagogue, chorus conductor, prominent public figure, creator of the Ukrainian classical music.

6. For discovering phagocytosis Mechnykov was awarded Nobel Prize.

7. Sergii Koroliov was championed as an early developer of X-ray machine prototype (14 years before Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen’s invention).

8. Sergii Koroliov was the most outstanding public figure of the 19^th century in space rocket production and shipbuilding.

9. Olexander Shalimov invented new operation methods for digestive apparatus (for the first time in history he managed to transplant pancreas to diabetic), heart and oncological diseases.

III. Read some facts about world famous people with Ukrainian roots.

1. Volodymyr Palahniuk, known professionally as Jack Palance, was an American film actor. During half a century of film and television appearances he was nominated for three Academy Awards, all as the Best Actor in a Supporting Role, winning in 1991. Palance’s parents were Ukrainian immigrants: his father was from Ternopil region and his mother – from Lviv region.

2. Sylvester Stallone is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Sylvester Stallone’s maternal great-grandmother arrived to the United States from Odessa in 1888.

3. Dustin Hoffman (was born in a family of immigrants from Kyiv) is an American actor with a career in film, television, and theatre since 1960. Hoffman has won two Academy Awards, five Golden Globes, three BAFTAs, three Drama Desk Awards, and an Emmy Award. Dustin Hoffman received the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1999.

4. Steven Spielberg is a worldwide famous film director, screenwriter, film producer and video game designer. Grandfather of Steven Spielberg’s mother’s side came from Odessa, on father’s side – from a small Ukrainian village. His favourite dish is Ukrainian borsch.

5. Milla Yovovich is the Ukrainian-born actress, supermodel, fashion designer, singer and public figure, who was on the cover of more than a hundred magazines, and starred in many famous movies.

6. Ukrainian-born actress and model Olha Kurylenko is known for her steamy but serious roles in several French and American films. Kurylenko is famous for the role of Bond’s girl.

7. Mila Kunis and her family moved from Ukraine to LA when she was 7. In 2010, she won the Marcello Mastroianni Award for the Best Young Actor or Actress at the 67^th Venice International Film Festival for her performance as Lily in “Black Swan”. She was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role for the same role.