The Admiral Makarov National University of Shipbuilding — a bastion of the Ukrainian language in the south! 
The 65th anniversary of the establishment of the Taras Shevchenko National Prize of Ukraine served as the central theme of the celebrations held on March 12, 2026, at the Admiral Makarov National University of Shipbuilding.
We are proud that our university is the only institution of higher education in the region to have taken on the mission of organizing an event of this magnitude. And this is no coincidence! After all, NUK has a unique legacy—throughout its history, seven winners of the Shevchenko Prize have worked and created here. This is the highest number in the entire region! 
The guest of honor, Igor Shcherbina, First Deputy Chairman of the Mykolaiv Regional Council, addressed the audience with a welcoming speech. His words about the power of speech as a weapon no less potent than metal resonated in everyone’s heart. 
Буває, кажуть, що техніка та поезія — це різні полюси. Але в НУК ці два світи створюють потужну синергію. І за цим стоїть людина, яка бачить набагато далі за обрій — ректор університету, професор Євген Трушляков. На початку лютого 2026 року стартував масштабний конкурс, який об’єднав учасників із 8 областей України. Звертаючись до залу, ректор зазначив, що кожне прочитане тут слово Кобзаря — цеглинка у фундамент нашої майбутньої перемоги. 
The artistic depth of the evening was highlighted by Olena Buberenko, head of the Department of Culture, Nationalities, and Religions of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration. She noted that even in the most difficult times, Mykolaiv remains a cultural hub where traditions are not only cherished but new talents are also discovered.
The highlight of the event was the speech by Taras Kremen, a candidate of philological sciences, professor, and expert on the Taras Shevchenko National Prize Committee. Taras Dmytrovych emphasized that every reader on this stage represents the voice of modern Ukraine, a voice that cannot be silenced. 
On behalf of the large educational community, Olena Kravets, Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Science of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration, welcomed the attendees. She thanked the National University of Kyiv for creating a unique platform for the development of talented young people. These warm words were followed by the long-awaited moment: the main protagonists of the day took the stage. 
The real magic happened when they—our winners—took the stage. The geographical scope of the “Competition for Reciters and Admirers of Taras Shevchenko’s Poetry and the Poetic Works of Laureates of the Taras Shevchenko National Prize of Ukraine” impressed even the experienced jury. Representatives of indomitable cities and towns—from the Sumy and Poltava regions to the heroic cities of Bakhmut, Izium, and Zaporizhzhia—proved that poetry knows no borders. 
The highlight of the 65th anniversary celebration of the award was a joint project by the Mykolaiv Regional Philharmonic and the National University of Culture and Arts—a musical performance based on Mykola Arkas’s opera *Kateryna*. Accompanied by the Ars Nova chamber orchestra (conductor Andrii Kryvoruchko) and performances by the Zorkia ensemble, the audience was immersed in a world of high art, where classical music resonates with modernity and power. 
More photos at the link: https://drive.google.com/…/1-m9…
Culture is not merely an add-on to education; it is its very heart. The Admiral Makarov National University of Shipbuilding has once again confirmed its status not merely as a technical university, but as a powerful spiritual beacon in southern Ukraine. 
