On August 13, 2021, an art event “Mykola Barabulia: Themed Evening of Shevchenko’s Poetry “I do care…” to the 30th Anniversary of Independence of Ukraine” was held in O.O.Osmerkin Art-Memorial Museum.
    Mykola Barabulia is a famous art and cultural worker in Kropyvnytskyi. After graduating from Dnipropetrovsk Theatre College in 1971, he came to his native town. He worked as a stand-up artist in Kirovohrad Regional Philharmonic, a methodologist in Kirovohrad Cultural Center “Zhovten” at the plant Chervona Zirka, the head of the Department of Amateur Art under Kirovohrad Regional Council of Trade Unions, the head of the Department of Culture of Kirovohrad District Council in the Town of Kropyvnytskyi and the head of the Department of Culture and Tourism of Kirovohrad City Council. Since 2012, has been an art director of the Cultural Center “Aviator” of Fly Academy of the National Air University in Kropyvnytskyi.
    Mykola Barabulia is well-known as a poet; he has been publishing in the local press since 1963. In 2012, his poem collection “The sun fell into the palms” was published. He is a member of the creative union “Parus”. His civic position is active and patriotic. Mykola Barabulia is a great reader of the Great Kobzar Player’s poems. In 1992, he won Grant-Prix at the 2nd All-Ukrainian Open Competition among Readers named after Taras Shevchenko. When he reads “Haydamaks” by Taras Shevchenko, his voice sounds alarming and leaves no one indifferent. Shevchenko’s word read by Mykola Barabulia is live, filled with power and faith, hope and confidence.
    All the guests of the evening with Mykola Barabulia were fascinated by the poems read by the professional reader. The video presentation was a bright addition; it displayed Taras Shevchenko’s portraits, his artistic works, illustrations of the poems by the classic of the Ukrainian literature by modern artists, as well as shots of the current defenders of Ukraine.
    At the event, materials from the museum collection were displayed – lithography by Kyiv artists Anatolii Navrotskyi “Taras Shevchenko” (1967) and the books from the personal library of Oleksandr Osmerkin: “Kobzar” by Taras Shevchenko (Kharkiv, 1932) and a research paper by a famous writer and literary historian Marietta Shahinian “Taras Shevchenko” (Moscow, 1946) with the author’s signature: “To my dear Aleksand Aleksandrovich Osmerkin with the warmest respect and friendship. Marietta Shahinian. 31.Х11.1947. Moscow”.
    A unique memorial item, “Kobzar” sparked interest among the journalists. The front page of the rare Kharkiv edition of 1932, which by the way is depicted at the poster of the event, has an inscription of the artist’s father in Ukrainian: “My child! Look back at our life in Moscow from 5.Х.31to 28.ІІІ.1932. The warmest embrace. Your father”. Oleksandr Osmerkin spent his conscious life in a foreign land, and he remembered his motherland with a heavy heart. That is why he kept the book of Taras Shevchenko – a great poet and artist, whose 160th anniversary we celebrate this year. Another unique thing about this book is the fact that one of its editors was Iieremiia Aizenshtok from Yelisavethrad – a famous literature historian, who was among the founders of the Institute of Taras Shevchenko in Kharkiv in 1926. I.Aizenshtok was an academic secretary in the institute, and because of him Taras Shevchenko’s items were returned from Moscow and Leninhrad to Ukraine – the poet’s letter to Hryhorii Kvitka-Osnovianenko, the autograph to the poem “Mariana a Nun”, five paintings by the Kobza Player and eighty of his drawings. It is worth attention that the book collection of a prominent scientist and philologist, which is currently kept in the National Library of Ukraine named after V.I.Vernadskyi, is suggested to include to the State Registry of the National Cultural Heritage of Ukraine. That is how two paths of the natives of our town – the artist Oleksandr Osmerkin and the literature historian Iieremii Aizenshtok crossed, united by Taras Shevchenko’s “Kobzar”.
    At the end of the evening with Mykola Barabulia, he congratulated everyone present with the coming Independence Day of Ukraine and added that this holiday we should celebrate in joy, honoring the heroic history of the Ukrainian people.
    On the behalf of the museum staff, the museum director Vita Chernova thanked Mykola Barabulia for the creative cooperation, handed him the Certificate of    Acknowledgment, and presented with the poster of the exhibition and a traditional souvenir – a branded museum cup.