The book is dedicated to the life and work of the brilliant Ukrainian poet and artist Taras Grigorievich Shevchenko. For the first time, the author was able to display in one volume all the stages of his life - from childhood to premature death - filled with poverty, grief, humiliation and incredible suffering. Having been born a serf in a beggarly family and having lost his parents early, he found himself as a child alone among strangers. Overcoming all obstacles, thanks to his talent and the help of friends, he manages to break free from slavery and fulfill his dream - to become an artist, graduating from the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts in the class of the brilliant Karl Bryullov. At the same time, the genius of a poet awakens in him. From the first lines, his poetry sounded like an angry protest against the feudal oppressors, against the tsar, and was filled with pain for the enslaved people. The tsarist regime did not tolerate the free and angry words of the poet for long, conscripting him into a soldier for 10 long years with a strict ban on writing and drawing. It was difficult to imagine a more sophisticated torture for such a person as Shevchenko - a gifted artist and a brilliant poet. But nothing could break his mighty spirit. He remained true to his convictions, love for his people and his land. And the people reciprocated. The name of Taras Shevchenko remains sacred for every person in whom conscience is alive. The book is of interest to a wide range of readers.