Catching an Elusive Bird

Based on a rich collection of primary and secondary sources, Leonid Ushkalov presents his biography of the famous Ukrainian philosopher and theologian Hryhorii (Gregorius) Skovoroda (1722–1794). However, this book is not only a biography of a prominent person but also a vivid presentation of the life and culture of eighteenth-century Ukraine. The eleven chapters of the book describing Skovoroda's development are framed by two separate stories, a Prelude and a Finale. They are intended to give Skovoroda's biography as much depth as possible and to show his paramount role in the Ukrainian spiritual tradition.