Dr. Serhii Krymsky, a noted Ukrainian philosopher, writer, and an old friend of Den/The Day, would have marked his 85th birthday on June 2. What does Ukrainian society lack these days? Regrettably, a lot of things. Have any of us thought of a simple but perhaps the only correct answer to this question? All of us lack wisdom – and I don’t mean being smart on a daily basis, knowing how to deal with our fellow humans in various circumstances, although we obviously lack this, too; by wisdom I mean knowledge, understanding, keen awareness of eternal, classical national and world culture as a lasting guarantee of each nation’s free democratic progress.
Dr. Krymsky, a senior fellow at the National Academy’s Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy, was a long-time and captivating contributor to Den/The Day, a man of enviable erudition, and a remarkably kind-hearted individual. He was always open to ideas and an inexhaustible source of wisdom. Yes, wisdom, there is no better word to describe it. In recognition of his outstanding scholarly merits – a series of philosophical works and especially the book Philosophy as a Road to Humaneness and Hope – he was awarded Ukraine’s most prestigious Taras Shevchenko Prize.
Kudos apart (relevant and material as they are), anyone who met Serhii Krymsky, even once, would long remember the kind, penetrating and sad look in his eyes behind his “classic” glasses, his slightly muffled voice. During a conversation he never let fly with his thoughts but was always careful to choose words that accurately conveyed the meaning of a phenomenon, notion or character. His encyclopedic knowledge was amazing (he could faultlessly quote Homer and Kant, the Holy Bible and Pascal, Socrates and Leo Tolstoy), as was his openness. For him there was no such thing as an uninteresting interlocutor. In June 2006 he told me: “I’m not one of those who prefer the company of highbrow professors. I will always find something to discuss with any person regardless of that person’s social standing, age, occupation or preferences. I will use simple words, I will touch on eternal topics that are important for everyone: the sense of life, higher values, good and evil, the elusiveness of time…” He also knew lots of caustic and funny jokes, and was a masterful raconteur.
He was a teacher Dei gratia for the authors and readers of Den/The Day, and this lasted for 11 years, from 1999 until his death in June 2010. Everyone who knew him will remember him like that. People will keep reading his brilliant articles in the Den/The Day Library Series Ukraine Incognita, Dvi Rusi, Syla miakoho znaka, Ekstrakt Dnia. It is important not to lose sight of his fundamental thoughts in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. I will cite a few.
♦ “Historically, the majority has often been wrong, whereas some sage and brave individuals have been right while intrepidly confronting all.”
♦ “Ukraine is an inheritor of history that ranges over thousands of years; this forces us to assume a great deal of responsibility.”
♦ “Ukraine should seek a place in Europe because it is our home by right; we have been there since the time of Kyivan Rus’; our place is there, not in Eurasia, and we must take it now.”
♦ “Culture (primarily humanitarian) is the foundation of a truly sustainable democracy, much more so than investments, innovation and high technology (there is no denying their importance).”
♦ “In a globalized, ‘technogenic’ world, the role of morals and ethical values is not diminishing but increasing like never before. Otherwise, we are headed for a disaster.”
♦ “Philosophical and human wisdom is, among other things, about always assuming that your opponent in a dispute is right (even if partially). No one can have a monopoly on the truth!”
It is true that he was a teacher for hundreds and thousands (I wish I could say millions) of people who read his books and articles carried by Den/The Day. His thoughts are a roadmap for those who live in the 21st century. God rest your soul, Dr. Krymsky! You are forever alive in our hearts and minds.
