Mykhaylo Maksymovych - Legacy

Legacy

Maksymovych was a pioneer of his time and, in many ways, one of the last of the "universal men" who were able to contribute original works to both the sciences and the humanities. His works in biology and the physical sciences reflected a concern for the common man - love for his fellow human being, Schelling's philosophy, at work - and his works in literature, folklore, and history, often phrased in terms of friendly public "letters" to his scholarly opponents, pointed to new directions in telling the story of the common people. In doing this, however, Maksymovych "awakened" new national sentiments among his fellow Ukrainians, especially the younger generation. He greatly influenced many of his younger contemporaries including the poet Taras Shevchenko, the historian Mykola Kostomarov, the writer Panteleimon Kulish, and many others. His life was that of a true gatherer of a national heritage, heritage gathering typically being the first stage of the Ukrainian national movement which intermittently but repeatedly gathered strength after his time.

The library of Kiev University is named in his honour.