The first monument to Taras Shevchenko on the African continent has been erected in Botswana. This was reported by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andriy Sybiha, according to UNN.
Details
According to him, the grand opening of the monument took place at the country's largest educational institution, the University of Botswana, with the participation of its leadership, faculty, students, foreign diplomatic corps, the Ukrainian community, and journalists.
The monument was created from Botswanan bronze by sculptor Francois Kotze. During the ceremony, the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Tapelo Otlhoetswe, read his own translation of "Zapovit" into Botswana's national language, Setswana.
He clarified that 1384 monuments to Kobzar have been erected worldwide, 128 of which are in 35 countries. Now, the first African country, Botswana, has joined them.
The first Kobzar on African soil speaks to the globality of Shevchenko's ideas, the timelessness of his words, and the power of his thought, which through centuries unites the Ukrainian people and the entire world around the universal values of freedom, justice, and national identity.
Recall
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy by his decree approved the list of laureates of the Taras Shevchenko National Prize of Ukraine for 2026.