Leonid Steele “The Kossak Kin Will Never Perish” Козацькому Роду Нема Переводу, 1970
This major work reflects an affirmative vision of unified and prosperous future of the Ukrainian People. The title reflects a crucial Ukrainian notion of “Kossak keen” that cannot be terminated. This notion is now enshrined in the national anthem. There is now a very popular national song of this title. “The Kossak Keen Will Never Perish” is part of the title of the important Ukrainian book by a very prominent Ukrainian writer Oleksandr Ilchenko whom my Dad knew and loved his book. He adopted this part for this painting at the advise of an important Ukrainian composer, national song writer and his friend Oleksandr Bilash. This painting is now represents the final words of Ukrainian anthem.
Ще не вмерла України і слава, і воля,
Ще нам, браття молодії, усміхнеться доля.
Згинуть наші воріженьки, як роса на сонці.
Запануєм і ми, браття, у своїй сторонці.
Душу й тіло ми положим за нашу свободу,
І покажем, що ми, браття, козацького роду
Šče ne vmerla Ukrajiny i slava, i volia.
Šče nam, brattia molodiji, usmichnet́ia dolia.
Zhynut́ naši vorižeńky, jak rosa na sonci,
Zapanujem i my, brattia, u svojij storonci.
Dušu j tilo my položym za našu svobodu,
I pokažem, ščo my, brattia, kozaćkoho rodu.
Ukraine is not yet dead, nor its glory and freedom,
Luck will still smile on us brother-Ukrainians.
Our enemies will die, as the dew does in the sunshine,
and we, too, brothers, we’ll live happily in our land.
We’ll not spare either our souls or bodies to get freedom
and we’ll prove that we brothers are of Kossak kin.
Leonid Steele "Mothers of The World" 1972
The painting represents Leonid Steele’s global vision with the pregnant Ukrainian woman among mothers of world’s races. On top of the iconic golden son Dad wrote in old Ukrainian a super important quote from Shevchenko’s Kobzar “There will be Son and there will be Mother
And there will be peoples upon Earth”
This poem has a very special prophetic relevance now and widely quoted by the people of Ukraine throughout the war. It represents unshakable faith in overcoming, rebirth and future.
This entire painting was inspired and composed by my Dad as formulated response to this poem by Shevchenko which he loved and which was hugely important to him, but he wrote it directly on the painting also at the advice of Bilash.
«І на оновленій землі
Врага не буде супостата,
А буде Син і буде Мати
І будуть люде на Землі»
Тарас Шевченко «Кобзар»
“And on the land rebirthed
There will be no vile enemy, but rather
There will be Son and there will be Mother
And there will be peoples upon Earth”
Taras Shevchenko “Kobzar”