August 27th, 2026 marks 170 years since the Birthday of Ivan Franko – a prominent Ukrainian writer, poet, critic, translator, scholar, public and political figure whose activity made him one of the defining figures of Ukrainian culture and public opinion. On the occasion of this milestone, the academic community of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv gathered at the square in front of the Main Academic Building of the University, as per tradition, to pay respects to their Patron and lay flowers near his monument. University’s students and employees, the representatives of local and regional authorities, as well as prominent scientific and academic institutions of Lviv, took part in this ceremony.
The official tribute began with the Joint Choir of Culture and Entertainment Centre of Lviv University performing “The Eternal Revolutionary”. After that, Professor Mychajlo Hnatiuk, Doctor of Philology, Head of Department of Literature Theory and Comparative Literature Studies of Faculty of Philology of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, appealed to the audience with a speech on Ivan Franko, his intellectual property, and his importance for modern-time Ukraine.
In the beginning of his speech, Professor emphasised that 170 years ago, in a Boyky village of Hahuievychi, there was born a person who was destined to greatly impact the fate and the way of thinking of Ukrainian people. “Ivan Franko is not only a prominent figure of Ukrainian literature – it is the whole era of modern Ukrainian history”, Mychajlo Hnatiuk noted.
The scholar highlighted the particular performance of prominent figures in pivotal moments in history, when a nation is under threat of losing its identity. Ivan Franko became this figure at the end of 19th – beginning of the 20th century, and he was destined to implement new societal guidances, intellectual norms and ways of thinking.
Mychajlo Hnatiuk also mentioned the connection between Ivan Franko and Lviv University. In 1875, future writer enrolled into the Faculty of Philosophy of the University. He later finished his studies at Chernivtsi University and earned his PhD in Vienna. “Despite the successfully performed habilitation lecture, the government of that time made everything to not allow the rebellious writer near the teaching department”, Mychajlo Hnatiuk explained.
When mentioning the writer’s worldview, Professor emphasised that among the most important ideas for him, there were always the ideas of liberty, democracy, and equality. These very principles, according to Mychajlo Hnatiuk, have to be nurtured and implemented by the University as a centre for education, science, and culture. “We can surely say that today, our University truly carries this mission out”, Mychajlo Hnatiuk emphasised.
Professor also noted that throughout the last three decades, there has been a noticeable influx of Franko studies. Lviv University and other scientific and cultural institutions of Lviv continue vivid scientific and educational activities with Ivan Franko’s heritage, even in the conditions of war. At the same time, the scientist emphasised, the academic science does not have to stay within only a specialised field – the knowledge about Franko has to reach a wider audience.
It is especially important, according to Mr Hnatiuk, to get the youth acquainted with Franko’s heritage. “In Lviv University, tremendous work has been done so that the figure of the Stone-Hewer would be relevant and understandable to students of all specialties – not only humanities, but also nature studies, mathematics, and other majors”, he remarked.
One of the underlying topics of Franko’s works, as per Mychajlo Hnatiuk, is freedom. According to him, it reveals itself throughout the writer’s life and active work – in his societal poetry, publications, philosophic and literary works.
Professor noted the “Moses” poem which became one of the key texts of Ukrainian culture and national self-identity. Mychajlo Hnatiuk reminded of the account of Mykhailo Kotsiubynskyi’s meeting with Ivan Franko in Lviv, at the time of him working on the poem, as well as the words of Ukrainian linguist and intellectual George Yurii Shevelov, who called “Moses” “the second work with the scope of “My Testament” in Ukrainian literature”. Mychajlo Hnatiuk also told the audience about the history of working on this poem and its famous prologue, where Franko pondered the future of Ukrainian people.
Especially relevant nowadays are the words of Franko, Professor Hnatiuk emphasised, when Ukraine again has to fight for its own freedom. “Sometimes today we are enwrapped in sorrow when we see what is happening at war with our eternal enemy, when we bury our best sons and daughters, the best of the best. Unfortunately, the history decided to make us go through these tough challenges as well. And Franko’s words help us in that”, Mychajlo Hnatiuk stated.
Professor also expressed his gratitude to the Defenders of Ukraine who took up arms to fight for the freedom and the independence of the country, emphasising that today, they continue to fight for the values that were defining for Franko.
At the end of his speech, Mychajlo Hnatiuk appealed to the image of “wandering in life” from “Moses” poem, highlighting that the word and the spirit of the Stone-Hewer will continue to accompany Ukrainians. According to him, today’s generation, as well the generation of our children and grand-children, will enjoy to Ivan Franko’s heritage even in the future, and that the special part in preserving and reflecting upon it will still fall upon the shoulders of academic institutions and universities.
After Mychajlo Hnatiuk’s speech, the audience heard Ivan Franko’s fairy-tale “The Old Good Is Forgotten”, which was read with expression and emotion by the student of Faculty of Culture and Arts Evelina Oleksyn (mentor – Merited Artist of Ukraine Olena Basha). In this literary work, Franko teaches us that when we forget about the good deeds done, the indifference prevails over the justice, and calls upon us not to be the indifferent observers to other’s harm or our own miseries, not to wait for justice from someone else, but to forge our own destiny. These words are as relevant today as ever, in the times when our people is fighting for its future on the battlefield.
At the end of the ceremony, the audience performed the patriotic work of Ivan Franko titled “This Not the Time” and the State Anthem of Ukraine. Symbolic sound of these works added that particular emotional power to the event, once again signifying the relevance of Franko’s words, the inseparability of generations, and the everlasting aspiration of Ukrainians for liberty, dignity, and independence.
