Days after a two-tonne, seven-metre-high bronze statue of a famous Ukrainian poet was reported stolen from a park in Oakville, Ont., its head has turned up at a nearby smelter.

The statue of Taras Shevchenko — a 19th-century artist and poet credited with establishing the modern Ukrainian literary language — was discovered missing on the weekend by two visitors to a 16-acre memorial park in North Oakville. Police believe it could have been stolen anytime between Dec. 15-31. 

The bronze statue of Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko, was discovered stolen from a memorial park in Oakville, Ont., on Dec. 31.
(Halton Regional Police Service)

Andrew Gregorovich, of the Taras Shevchenko Museum that owns the statue, said he heard early Tuesday afternoon that the figure's head had been located at a smelter in Burlington, about 25 kilometres southwest of Oakville.

The discovery lent credibility to theories that the statue was stolen for the value of the scrap metal. Halton Region police estimated the value of the statue at $20,000.

"It's good news in a sense that we know that the head has survived but it's devastating to know that the rest of the statue was destroyed apparently," said Gregorovich, who is the vice-president and librarian of the Toronto-based museum.

Theft required large equipment

The statue had a base that was more than three metres high and was about seven metres high in total, Gregorovich said. It stood in the centre of the park, partially obscured by trees.

Gregorovich called it "unbelievable" that such a "large monument" was carted away, pointing out that the removal would likely have required large equipment such as a crane to lift it from the marble stand.

The bronze figure was a gift from Ukraine and was unveiled on July 1, 1951, to mark the 60th anniversary of Ukrainian-Canadian settlement.

It's not the first statue that has gone missing from the park. A smaller bronze statue of Shevchenko was stolen several years ago from the park's entrance.

Shevchenko, who died in 1861 at the age of 47, is revered by Ukrainians around the world and is "considered a genius of Ukrainian poetry," Gregorovich said.

In his poetry, Shevchenko asks people to not forget him with the words "in the family of the free softly, kindly, remember me."

About 600 statues have been erected in his honour around the world in such locations as Moscow, Buenos Aires and Winnipeg, Gregorovich said.

The museum's board of directors is scheduled to meet on Jan. 8 to discuss whether to replace the statue.