Yevshan Herb — Mykola Voronyi

Yevshan Herb is a poem by Ukrainian writer Mykola Voronyi based on an old chronicle legend about a Polovtsian boy who forgot his homeland. The work became a symbolic representation of national memory and the spiritual bond between a person and their native land.

According to the story, the young boy grows up in a foreign land and gradually forgets the steppe and his people. His father sends a messenger to bring him back, but words and memories fail to awaken his sense of belonging.

Only the scent of the yevshan herb, a steppe plant, reminds him of his homeland. The poem highlights the importance of cultural memory, heritage, and devotion to one’s native land.