Square Taras-Chevtchenko in Paris
Named after a Ukrainian poet called Taras Shevchenko, this small square has a bust of him and another stone monument and was laid out on the old cemetery of the Saint Peter Chapel.
About Square Taras-Chevtchenko
The Saint Peter Chapel in the Saint-Germain area originally had a cemetery where plague victims and Protestants were once laid to rest, being only buried at night without any noise or fuss, yet during the French Revolution, the chapel was transformed into a clinical school.
However, since then it has changed its purpose and the Saint Peter Chapel has now become the Ukrainian Catholic Church of Saint Vladimir the Great, and it was in 1937 that this square in Paris was first laid out on the old cemetery, and inaugurated with the name of Square Taras-Chevtchenko.
It was dedicated to the memory of Taras Shevchenko who was a Ukrainian poet, and hence the proximity to the church, yet note the name of the square is actually the French spelling of his name, although we noticed that the plaque shows his first name with a double S rather than a single S.
There is a bronze bust of Taras Shevchenko within the square that was produced by the artist Lissenko in 1978, and on the pedestal, which looks like it is made of marble, there is an inscription stating his name along with his date of birth and death, and the fact that he was a Ukrainian poet.
But you will also find another stone monument within the Square Taras-Chevtchenko, and this is dedicated to Rene Laennec, who was a French physician specialising in chest infections and lung diseases that invented the stethoscope in 1816 and used it for his diagnosis.
And this stone monument in Paris is located within a flowerbed close to the edge of the square where you can also find a drinking water fountain, like a Wallace Fountain, and it was sculpted by Rene Quillivic in 1942.
Plus there are numerous park benches in the Square Taras-Chevtchenko where you can sit and relax admiring the different flora or get shade from the large oak and plane trees, and there is a very small childrens play area dedicated to young children.
Visiting Square Taras-Chevtchenko in Paris
You will find the Square Taras-Chevtchenko located in the Saint-Germain area in the 6th Arrondissement within walking distance of several other tourist attractions and museums in Paris.
It is open from either 9am or 9,30am depending upon the day or whether it is a holiday and closes between 5pm and 7.30pm depending upon the time of year, but we would like to point out that unfortunately some of the square is not accessible to the disabled.
Yet when it comes to getting here via public transport in Paris, the nearest Metro station is the Saint-Germain-des-Pres stop via line 4, or alternatively the bus numbers 39, 63 and 95 will also get you close by and a little further away you have the Rue du Bac Metro station stop serving line 12.
