Vasyl Symonenko (1935–1963) is a poetic legend of the «Sixtiers» as a social-artistic movement. His poems were not allowed to be published by Soviet censorship, so they were distributed in samizdat lists and copied by hand—teachers, professors, and farmers. The poet’s lines spoke with the power of Shevchenko: «My people exist! My people will always be! No one will erase my people!» Ultimately, the poet prophesied our times: «Ukraine, you are my prayer, You are my long-lasting despair... A fierce battle rumbles over the world For your life, your rights.»
