Taras Shevchenko's works have been added to the school curriculum in Lithuania

Ukrainian poet, writer, and artist Taras Shevchenko is being included in the general curriculum for Lithuanian language and literature. This was reported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport (ŠMSM) of Lithuania.

It is noted that during this academic year Shevchenko's works will be recommended, and next year they will become mandatory for classes in the extended course for eleventh graders studying Lithuanian language and literature.

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This academic year, T. Shevchenko's works will be recommended for eighth graders and third-year gymnasium students studying Lithuanian language and literature within the general course. The list of recommended works, alongside those by T. Buinickis, A. Mickevičius, and O. Milašius, which express the identity of Lithuania's historical peoples, includes T. Shevchenko's "Zapovit" (Testament), "To the Dead, and to the Living, and to the Unborn Compatriots in Ukraine and Not in Ukraine, My Friendly Message." Teachers will be able to choose other works by this author at their discretion.

From September 1, 2027, this will be a mandatory program for third-year gymnasium students who will be studying an advanced course. When teaching the topic of Romanticism, T. Shevchenko's poems, selected at the discretion of the Lithuanian teacher, will be included in the curriculum.

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The ministry states that including a work by this author in the general Lithuanian language and literature program was also important for strengthening cultural ties between Lithuania and Ukraine, considering the integration of Ukrainian children studying in Lithuania and the creation of a common European identity.