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Memorial Museum of H. Skovoroda and his Literary Works

In the picturesque village of Pan-Ivanivka (the name of Skovorodynivka until 1922) the great Ukrainian philosopher and poet H. Skovoroda (1722–1794) is buried. Most part of his life was closely connected with Sloboda Ukraine. He taught ethics and poetics at Kharkiv College and then spent 20 year wandering around Ukraine. He was trying to bring simple messages across: in order to be happy you should first understand yourself; tastes and preferences differ; a person with a spotless soul is not afraid of any obstacles.

In the 1770s–1780s H. Skovoroda often visited Sloboda Ukraine. He stayed at his friends’ in Sumy, Valky, Kharkiv, Babayi, Lebedyn and Svyatogorsk. He also stayed at the Kovaleskys’ estate in Pan-Ivanivka on several occasions. It is here that the wandering philosopher inclined his steps feeling the coming decease.

The words engraved on H. Skovoroda’s tomb were written by the philosopher himself — “The world was trying to catch me, but failed”.