Always Has Been, Always Will Be: Shevchenko’s Voice Against Empire
How Ukraine’s National Poet Honored the Highlanders Who Defied Imperial Rule
Adel Bashqawi
July 15, 2025
In 1845, as the Russian Empire tightened its grip on the Caucasus, a Ukrainian poet raised his voice—not in praise of conquest, but in solidarity with the conquered. Taras Shevchenko, exiled and censored for his defiance, penned The Caucasus, a searing tribute to the highlanders who resisted imperial domination. Among them were the Circassians, whose homeland was being ravaged by war, displacement, and genocide. Shevchenko’s verses did not merely mourn their suffering—they exalted their courage. In a time when silence was safer, he chose to speak. His words became a flame carried across borders, illuminating a shared legacy of resistance that still burns today.
Circassian Connection
Despite unconfirmed claims of Circassian ancestry, documented sources affirm that Taras Shevchenko was of Ukrainian origin, born in the Cherkasy Oblast. [1]
While Shevchenko was not Circassian by descent, his moral and poetic alignment with the Circassians’ struggle is unmistakable. His work stands as one of the earliest literary tributes to their resistance against Russian imperialism. [2]
- The Caucasus was composed in honor of the highlanders’ heroic struggle. Shevchenko encouraged them to stand firm and defend their homeland against Russian imperialist invasion. [3]
- It is no coincidence that the Ukrainian Parliament has recognized the Circassian Genocide. Ukraine stands in solidarity with the Circassians and the peoples of the Caucasus, sharing a humane stance against crimes committed by the same colonial entity—Russia—across centuries.
- On January 9, 2025, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a resolution recognizing the genocide of the Circassian people committed by the Russian Empire. [4]
- On February 23, 2024, “the Ukrainian Parliament (the Verkhovna Rada) has also recognized the right of the Ingush people to self-determination and the creation of a sovereign state.” [5]
- On October 18, 2022, the Ukrainian Parliament recognized the occupation and genocide of the Chechen people, and declared the territory of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria as temporarily occupied by Russia. [6]
Taras Shevchenko’s Poem The Caucasus (1845)
Shevchenko, born into a serf family in central Ukraine, explicitly praised the resistance of Caucasian peoples—including Circassians—in his powerful anti-imperial poem The Caucasus (Кавказ).
Themes in The Caucasus:
- Condemnation of Russian imperialism and colonial violence
- Tribute to the heroic resistance of the highlanders (Circassians, Chechens, Ingush, Dagestanis, and others)
- Use of Prometheus as a symbol of eternal defiance
- A prophetic call for justice and equality
- Deep empathy for freedom fighters
Notable Lines (translated by John Weir):
“And glory, freedom’s knights, to you, Whom God will not forsake. Keep fighting—you are sure to win! God helps you in your fight! For fame and freedom march with you, And right is on your side!” [7]
These lines have become iconic in Ukraine and beyond, especially during moments of resistance against Russian aggression.
In the Spirit of Shevchenko’s Enduring Solidarity
I recently published a book titled Circassia and Ukraine: Two Nations Even Russian Genocide Can’t Destroy. Its pages echo the same defiance found in The Caucasus—a refusal to let history be rewritten by the hands of empire. Just as Shevchenko honored the highlanders who stood against Russian conquest, this work seeks to illuminate the shared resilience of two nations whose identities have been targeted but never erased. The book stands not only as a testament to survival, but as a tribute to Shevchenko’s moral clarity—a poetic flame that continues to guide those who speak truth to the authorities. [8]
Historical Context
- From an early age, Shevchenko was immersed in Ukrainian culture and poetry. His talent for drawing led to his liberation from serfdom.
- He was influenced by revolutionary movements in Lithuania and Poland, and exposed to Ukrainian folklore and the works of Kotlyarevsky, Kvitka-Osnovianenko, and Romantic poets. [9]
- His poetry displayed a deep national consciousness.
- In 1845, Shevchenko returned to Ukraine and joined the national movement. He was arrested in 1847 and sentenced to strict supervision, forbidden from writing or drawing, and imprisoned for years.
- He understood that freedom would not come through imperial kindness, but through struggle. His work created a gallery of freedom fighters—Champions of Sacred Freedom.
- The Caucasus was written during Russia’s brutal conquest of the North Caucasus, including the Circassian Genocide. Shevchenko was one of the few voices in the empire who condemned these actions and expressed solidarity with indigenous peoples.
Analysis of The Caucasus
- Shevchenko admired the highlanders’ resistance and encouraged them to defy Russian colonialism.
- His use of Prometheus symbolizes Circassian endurance and the belief that their struggle will ultimately benefit humanity—through freedom, knowledge, and civilizational renewal.
- His moral clarity in condemning Russian brutality led to personal hardship, including years of imprisonment.
Conclusion
Shevchenko’s sense of unity and poetic solidarity with the peoples of the North Caucasus offers a bridge between Ukrainian and Circassian resistance narratives—both timely and historically rich. His words remind us of the power of cross-cultural solidarity through literature.
In one of his most poignant poems, he wrote to his fellow countrymen:
“No one sees me, no one knows, Deaf, they do not hearken, They are trading with their fetters, Using truth to bargain, And they all neglect the Lord, — In heavy yokes they harness. People; thus they plough disaster, And they sow disaster …” [10]
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References:
[2] https://kyivindependent.com/taras-shevchenko-ukrainian-poet-and-national-hero/
[6] https://www.kyivpost.com/post/5063
[8] https://justicefornorthcaucasus.info/?p=1251684673
[9] https://shevchenko.ca/taras-shevchenko/biography/
[10] https://shevchenko.ca/taras-shevchenko/poem.cfm?poem=31
