THE POLYHEDRAL TALENT
A. Krymskyi 19 January 2001, the anniversary meeting of the Department of Public and Humanitarian Science of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, on the occasion of 130th anniversary of academic Agatangel Krimskyi’s birth, was held. Opening a meeting, the President of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine B.Paton read a congratulation of the President of Ukraine L.Kuchma to participants of the meeting. The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkey in Ukraine A. Karaosmanoglu, vice-president of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine I.Kuras, People's Deputy of Ukraine, first deputy Chair of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people R.Chubarov, prominent fellows of Institute on Orientalism of National Academy of Ukraine and Institute of Literature by T.Shevcnenko took part in the meeting. The participants’ speeches and reports were dedicated to analysis of scientific and literature legacy of academic A.Krymskyi – prominent scientist- founder of national science. PRESIDENT OF UKRAINETo participants and guests of anniversary meeting Accept my congratulations on the occasion of the memorable date for which your meeting is conveyed. The name of Agatangel Krymskyi, a prominent scientist, writer and translator, founder of national science, the first Leading Scientific Secretary of the All-Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, is well-known in Ukraine as the symbol of true scholarly and worldly achievements. Being of Crimean Tatar origin and a dedicated patriot of Ukraine, Krymskyi kept affection towards the Orient from his cradle to his grave. Without exaggeration, it can be said that he re-discovered the Orient for the Ukrainians. Krymskyi’s works on the history of Islam, on Arab, Turkish and Persian history and literature, achieved wide international recognition and became the basis of Oriental studies in Ukraine. It is difficult to overestimate his contribution to the development of Slavic and Ukrainian studies, political science and ethnology. The best literary works have passed the test of time. Scholarly as well as literary legacy of the academician A. Krymskyi has been, and remains, a unique source of rich and reliable factual material, of productive ideas, and of aesthetic delight. In modern Ukraine, which is a mother for people of all nationalities that live on its territory, Krymskyi’s prominent personality represents deep spiritual connections between the Ukrainian and the Crimean Tatar peoples. The establishment in 1991 of the Institute on Oriental Studies named after this prominent scholar and great humanist in the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine is another example of independent Ukraine’s high esteem for Agatangel Krymskyi, and dedication to continue his work. I hope that this anniversary meeting, being a tribute to the memory of our great compatriot, will help us to deeper comprehend his life path and scholarly contributions. L.KUCHMA |
