Taras Shevchenko is not just the founder of the modern Ukrainian literary language, he is also the most important symbol of modern Ukrainian nationhood. Born a serf in March 1814 on an estate just over 100 miles from Kyiv, Shevchenko demonstrated an early aptitude for art and went on to paint, draw, and write passionately about liberty and the abolishment of serfdom. This historic 1920 poster celebrating his national holiday cites a critical passage from his famed "Testimony": "Oh bury me, then rise ye up And break your heavy chains And water with the tyrants' blood The freedom you have gained."
