This year, in a solemn atmosphere to mark the 300th anniversary of the birth of the classic of Turkmen literature Magtymguly Fragi and in his honour, a new cultural and park complex of the capital was opened in the foothills of Kopetdag. It is symbolic that this large-scale facility, in addition to the majestic monument to Magtymguly, includes an alley of famous poets and philosophers of various countries and epochs, which emphasises its significance in the context of friendship between peoples and the unity of the cultural heritage of mankind.
There are 24 monuments to world-famous writers and poets from different countries of the world on the territory of the park complex. The editors of the «Golden Age» considered it right, if possible, to introduce the reader, especially children and adolescents, to the life and work of outstanding personalities whose monuments adorn the Magtymguly Alley. This is also important because some of the geniuses of their time presented here visited Turkmenistan. «GA» publishing information about them, does not pretend to fully cover the materials about this or that person, especially since not much information has been preserved about many of them after a long period of time.
Our short story today is about the Ukrainian philosopher, writer, composer, poet and translator Grigoriy Savvich Skovoroda.
Grigoriy Savvich Skovoroda was born in November 1722 in the town of Chernukhi in the Kyiv province. Skovoroda is known as a wandering philosopher, poet, fabulist and teacher who made a significant contribution to East Slavic culture. There is no reliable information about the early years of Grigoriy Skovoroda's life. It can be assumed that at the age of seven he could have been enrolled in a four-grade dyakovsky school that operated in Chernukhi.
In 1735-1738, Grigory studied in grammar classes, studied Latin, prose and poetry of the classics. A little later, he studied Greek, German and Hebrew. It is believed that in the period from 1738 to 1741, Skovoroda studied at the Kyiv Theological Academy.
Skovoroda did not complete the education he began at the Academy. And in 1741, together with three musicians, he passed the competitive selection and was sent to the court singing chapel. As a musician, he took part in the production of individual operas.
In the following years, Grigoriy Skovoroda mostly led the life of a wandering philosopher-theologian. In three years, he visited Poland, Hungary, Austria, Italy and Germany. In 1750, he returned to Kyiv. Skovoroda died in 1794.
Skovoroda is the author of such works as «The World Alphabet», «Friendly Conversation about the Spiritual World», «The Poor Lark», «Kharkov Fables», «The Garden of Divine Songs».
For his unusual way of life, as well as because he wrote most of his philosophical works in the form of dialogues with friends, Skovoroda is often called one of the first philosophers of East Slavic culture. In Skovoroda's works, the central place is occupied by the problem of self-knowledge, which inevitably comes down to the question of the nature of the human being.
In Ukraine, several research institutions and higher educational institutions, museums, streets and squares bear Skovoroda's name. His monuments have been erected in many cities of Ukraine.
