July 21, 1906 Olena Shovgeniva - poet, playwright, essayist Olena Teliha - was born.

The 110th anniversary of her birth has passed completely unnoticed, however this woman should be a symbol of the Ukrainian rebirth and example to follow.

Olena Teliha’s father was a talented hydraulic engineer and professor of Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, later - the UNR government official, so in 1920 the family moved first to Poland and then to Czech Republic. There Olena met her future husband – Mykhailo Teliha.

During the proclamation of the UNR Teliha actively supports the revival of independent Ukraine and the overthrow of Bolshevism. She heads the Union of Ukrainian writers, is published in newspapers and magazines. Despite the ban for publication by the German occupiers Teliha continues her publishing activity, which ultimately leads to her arrest in 1942. Her husband voluntarily gives in to Gestapo together with her. Life of Olena Teliha ended February 21, 1942 at Babi Yar. Her husband and colleagues - Ivan Rogach, Volodymyr Bahaziy, Ivan Irlyavskyy and other patriots were shot together with the writer. In the cell where she sat, the inscription was found: “Here was sitting and from here is going to execution Olena Teliha”. Above this a trident styled on a sword was engraved by her hand. They say that after Teliha’s death one of her torturers said he had not seen a man that died so heroically as this beautiful woman.

Olena Teliha differed with phenomenal civil courage and romance. In the worst years for the Ukrainian intelligentsia, she relentlessly followed the idea of ​​Ukrainian identity, national consciousness and revival of Ukrainian statehood. Teliha was a true knight of her time. For years Teliha’s works were forcedly forgotten, but not neglected.

Her words about choosing own independent life for Ukrainians are relevant now as they were 70 years ago. Now all her life is a model of consciousness and behavior of the citizen who does not have inferiority complex.

It will be like this: on a clear autumn day

We will take the road that goes our own way.

Our souls ploughed by hard competition's spade,

The seeds will sprout up in victory's array.

And this that we have dreamed for many years

All reality and possibility,

It will all shine like the sun - every bush and stone 

In these minutes - both cutting and happy!