On these days in Kyiv a three-days conference dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the death of prominent Jewish writer and playwright Sholem Aleichem, whose life is closely connected with Ukraine, is being held.

The real name of the writer is Solomon Naumovich Rabinovich, he was born on March 2, 1859 in the city of Pereyaslav at Poltava. His nickname is translated as “Peace be upon you!” - a traditional Jewish greeting. And Sholem Aleichem himself befitted his name: he was glad, reckless and cheerful. Up to date adults and children like his works: for his commitment to children's literature Sholem Aleichem is often compared to Mark Twain.

In his works, Solomon Naumovich portrayed the life of ordinary Jews living in Eastern Europe, did it with an inimitable sense of humor, emphasizing the characteristics and flavor of Jewish life at that time. I think many of you have seen Tevye the Dairyman in the performance of the great Ukrainian actor - Bohdan Stupka, a role which he played for many years. In this image the whole soul of the Jewish people is very clear and vibrantly illustrated: long-suffering, patient, proud and cheerful.

Besides the famous “Tevye the Dairyman”, he is the author of “Motl, the Cantor’s Son”, “Wandering Stars”, “Song of Songs” and many other works of our favourite ones. In addition to Jews, Sholem Aleichem wrote also about Ukrainians: about the friendship between the two peoples, their lives and shared way of life, culture and traditions.

For many years Sholem Aleichem lived in Odessa and Kyiv. And in 1905, he left his homeland with his family, pulling through demolitions. Then there were Switzerland, Germany, America - the path of the emigrant is never simple. The writer died of tuberculosis in 1916 in New York. He was only 57 years old.

I am very pleased with the fact that the name of Sholem Aleichem is not forgotten in Ukraine. The streets in Kyiv, Dnipro, Lviv, Chernivtsi, Billa Tserkva, Grodno, Drohobych, Zhytomyr, Berdychiv, Skvyra, Poltava, Korosten, Lida, Rogachev, and Kherson are named after him...

In Kyiv there is a beautiful monument and museum in honor of Sholem Aleichem. Solomon Naumovich is buried in New York, but according to his granddaughter, to the end of his life he tenderly loved and remembered Kyiv.