The Ukrainian anthem, “Shche ne umerla Ukraina” (“Ukraine Has Not Yet Perished”), is of quite recent origin. In Western Ukraine after 1848 there were two songs which enjoyed popularity at national celebrations and patriotic demonstrations. One was by the Basilian Father Julian Dobrylovsky (1760—1825) — “Grant, O.Lord, in Good Time” — and the other, the verse of Ivan Hushalevych (1825—1903) — “We Bring You Peace, Brothers.” In 1848 the latter was recognized by the Supreme Ruthenian Council in Lviv as the national anthem of the Galician Ukrainians. The Carpatho-Ukrainians, on occasions of popular celebration, sang the song by Alexander Dukhnovych (1803—1865) — “I Was, Am and Will be a Rusyn” [Ruthenian]. In the central and eastern Ukrainian lands the “Testament” of Taras Shevchenko was used for many years as a national anthem at manifestations and demonstrations. It was called, not inappropriately, the Ukrainian “Marseillaize.”
In 1863 the Lviv journal “Meta” (The Goal) published the poem of Paul Chubynsky (1839—1884), “Shche ne umerla Ukraina,’’ which was mistakenly ascribed to Taras Shevchenko. In the same year it was set to music by Galician composer Michael Verbytsky (1815—1870), first for solo and later choral performance.
This song, as a result of its catchy melody and patriotic text, rapidly became popular and gained broad acceptance among the Galician population as well as among the Ukrainians within the Russian empire, in 1917 it was officially adopted as the anthem of the Ukrainian state.
Ex.13. Discussion Points:
1. Geographical Position of Ukraine.
2. The Political System of Ukraine.
3. The National Emblems of Ukraine.