Famous Ukrainians

A nation without statehood is a crippled human collective organism.

— Volodymyr Vynnychenko

What you fear… will not happen because of your faith, but because of your fear.

— Volodymyr Vynnychenko

Our strange people – both strong and sad… Had heroes – and no one knew them… Always loved freedom – and always lived as a slave… Created the riches of songs – and does not know them…

— Volodymyr Vynnychenko

Who wants to be a great artist, he should not dirty himself.

— Volodymyr Vynnychenko

Good people will bring you happiness, bad people will reward you with experience, the worst ones will teach you a lesson, and the best ones will give you memories. Appreciate each one.

—Taras Shevchenko

If you don't believe in yourself, no one else will.

— Volodymyr Vynnychenko

The fool fears and retreats from evil, because he does not know how to overcome it, and the wise man trusts himself, fights evil and defeats it.

—Taras Shevchenko

Whoever does not lose heart and does not cry, also never rejoices.

—Taras Shevchenko

It is better to love and do than to write and speak.

—Taras Shevchenko

The door to the soul, like the door to the house, must be kept closed. A cold wind blows into the door when it’s open, brings in all kinds of dirt and bad people.

—Taras Shevchenko

Seeing among the gloomy people an open pleasant smile addressed to you, you begin to understand that everything is not so bad in this world, there is a lot of good ahead of you.

—Taras Shevchenko

It is true that in addition to God and the devil in our soul there is something else, so terrible that the heart chills, if you open it even a little.

—Taras Shevchenko

You have nothing to fear from the machinations of those people who belong to a deceitful and vain world. They can’t reach a beautiful bird soaring in the sky. What’s her name? Is it truth? Love? Eternity? Yes, eternity. The bustling world can’t keep up with eternity, it better see it doesn’t lose itself!

—Hryhorii Skovoroda

Spiritual acts for tyrants are worse than bodily ones. A thief will be pardoned sooner than a righteous man who is strong in spirit.

—Hryhorii Skovoroda

I don’t remember who exactly, but some deep heart expert said that the surest measurement of friendship is money. And his statement is fair. A true, true friendship that is only expressed in critical, difficult cases, and even it demands this cold yardstick. The most lively, animated language of friendship is money. And the greater the need, the more sincere the friendship, driving away this hungry witch.

—Taras Shevchenko

Love is a life-giving fire in the human soul, and everything created by man under the influence of this feeling is marked by the seal of life and poetry.

—Taras Shevchenko

All has gone to rest, and I don’t know whether I’m alive or will live or whether I’m rushing like this through the world for I’m not longer weeping or laughing.

—Taras Shevchenko

Give thanks to God, who made necessary things simple, and complicated things unnecessary.

—Hryhorii Skovoroda

Gambling is the great leveller. All men are equal – at cards.

—Nikolai Gogol

I shall laugh my bitter laugh.

—Nikolai Gogol

The experience of ages has shown that a man who works on the land is purer, nobler, higher, and more moral… Agriculture should be at the basis of everything. That’s my idea.

—Nikolai Gogol

There are occasions when a woman, no matter how weak and impotent in character she may be in comparison with a man, will yet suddenly become not only harder than any man, but even harder than anything and everything in the world.

—Nikolai Gogol

Also, though not over-elderly, he was not over-young.

—Nikolai Gogol

At the end of the table, the secretary was reading the decision in some case, but in such a mournful and monotonous voice, that the condemned man himself would have fallen asleep while listening to it. The judge, no doubt, would have been the first of all to do so, had he not entered into an engrossing conversation while it was going on.

—Nikolai Gogol

For public opinion does not admit that lofty rapturous laughter is worthy to stand beside lofty lyrical emotion and that there isall the difference in the world between it and the antics of a clown at a fair.

—Nikolai Gogol

Everything will be difficult, if there’s no dream.

—Hryhorii Skovoroda

You can’t imagine how stupid the whole world has grown nowadays.

—Nikolai Gogol

Two turtle doves will show thee Where my cold ashes lie And sadly murmuring tell thee How in tears I did die

—Nikolai Gogol

Always think of what is useful and not what is beautiful. Beauty will come of its own accord.

—Nikolai Gogol

…and sank into the profound slumber which comes only to such fortunate folk as are troubled neither with mosquitoes nor fleas nor excessive activity of brain.

—Nikolai Gogol