Author: Тарас Шевченко
Alternate names: Тарас Григорович Шевченко; T. H. Shevchenko; Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko; Taras Shevchenko; Тарас Григорьевич Шевченко; Taras 1814-1861 Shevchenko; Tarás Shevchenko; taras shevchenko
Born: 9 March [O.S. 25 February] 1814
Died: 10 March [O.S. 26 February] 1861
Bio: Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko (Ukranian: Тарас Григорович Шевченко), also known as Kobzar Taras, or simply Kobzar), was a Ukrainian poet, writer, artist, public and political figure, folklorist and ethnographer.  His literary heritage is regarded to be the foundation of modern Ukrainian literature and, to a large extent, the modern Ukrainian language, though this is different from the language of his poems. He also wrote some works in Russian (nine novellas, a diary, and an autobiography). Shevchenko is also known for his many masterpieces as a painter and an illustrator.