MONUMENTS OF OUTSTANDING PERSONALITIES IN THE CULTURAL AND PARK COMPLEX «MAGTYMGULY PYRAGY»: HRIGORIY SKOVORODA

On the territory of the cultural and park complex “Magtymguly Pyragy”, popular among residents of Ashgabat and guests of the capital, recently opened to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the birth of the classic of Turkmen literature Magtymguly Fragi, there is an alley of famous poets and thinkers of various countries and eras. In this place, which symbolizes the triumph of the friendship of peoples and the unity of the cultural heritage of mankind, a monument to the outstanding Ukrainian philosopher-educator Hrigoriy Skovoroda was erected.

Hrigoriy Savvich Skovoroda (1722-1794) - an outstanding Ukrainian thinker, mystical philosopher, theologian, poet, teacher, translator, musician. He is one of the famous thinkers of the 18th century, the era of Enlightenment. H.Skovoroda surprised his contemporaries with his various talents, encyclopedic knowledge, and the correspondence of his spiritual aspirations to his actions. The philosopher showed moral ideals to people and helped them to comprehend the truth through self-knowledge. People call him the “Ukrainian Socrates.”

Hrigoriy Savvich Skovoroda was born on December 3, 1722 in the village of Chornukhi, Poltava region, in the family of a land-poor Cossack. From an early age, he was distinguished by a tendency to concentrate in his inner world, fortitude, and a great desire for science and knowledge. He grew up and was brought up among the villagers, in a typical Ukrainian family, on the basis of folk honesty and the norms of Christian morality and ethics, which always turned to the inner world of a person, taught to live on the basis of love and kindness. Family and his native school played an outstanding role in Hrigoriy’s upbringing.

During 1734-1753, he received a thorough knowledge of the humanities at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, although he did not complete the full academic course. In 1742-1744 was a choir singer and received a good, at that time, musical education. In 1744, having returned to Kyiv, he resumed his studies at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in the philosophy class. And already in 1745, he went to Hungary, worked in the “Tokaj Commission for the procurement of wines for the royal court.” Traveling through European countries, H.Skovoroda improved his knowledge and was interested in folk life, customs, art, and beliefs. And all this was subsequently reflected in his works.

Having received additional education abroad, he taught in Ukraine and began to introduce innovative ideas into the educational process. Striving to promote science in the spirit of humanism and enlightenment, the innovative teacher gained popularity due to his talent, oratorical abilities, knowledge of languages ​​and the mind of a scientist. While teaching literature, syntax, and Greek at the Kharkov Collegium, H.Skovoroda became interested in ancient literature. Then he began to write “Fables of Kharkov”. Subsequently, leaving work at the Kharkov Collegium, he traveled for the last 25 years of his life and led an ascetic lifestyle until his death.

Hrigoriy Skovoroda died on November 9, 1794 in the village of Pan-Ivanovka (now Skovorodynovka) in the Kharkov region.

Most of Skovoroda's works have survived to this day. The entire creative heritage of Hrigoriy Skovoroda, which includes 18 philosophical works, 7 translations, the collection “The Garden of Divine Songs”, “Kharkov Fables”, tales, parables, songs, poems, letters, is a single system of views, a single philosophy.

The 300th anniversary of Hrigoriy Skovoroda, as well as the 300th anniversary of Magtymguly Fragi, was included in the UNESCO calendar of memorable dates in 2022-2023.

Despite their belonging to different cultural paradigms, the work of Hrigoriy Skovoroda and his contemporary, the outstanding Turkmen poet and thinker Magtymguly Fragi, has a number of common features.