20/12/2021 In 2022, we are celebrating the 300th anniversary of Hryhoriy Skovoroda. He has outstripped his time so far that even today his lifestyle and values make him a role-model for many. The philosopher was a profoundly religious person: he suggested his own interpretations of sacred texts and considered the Bible to be the main book of his life. During his visit to Ukraine, Pope John Paul II quoted a Latin poem by Skovoroda: Omnia praetereunt, sed amor post omnia durat. // Omnia praetereunt, haud deus, haud et amor. Yet, at the same time, Skovoroda refused to be ordained, opposing the common 18th-century view of priesthood as an opportunity to make a successful career.

Kharkiv lacks space where a person could stop, “fall out” of the daily fuss, have a leisurely conversation, read and feel the time go past. A public media-library on the spot, which was formerly occupied by a church altar, and an amphitheatre to study under the open sky will become the key elements of the new park-garden, highlighting yet another Skovoroda’s vocation: that of a teacher.

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