On Constitution Day of Ukraine, a memorial sign to Hetman Ivan Mazepa, an outstanding statesman and one of the largest donors of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, was unveiled at the National Reserve “Kyiv Pechersk Lavra” near the Assumption Cathedral. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy took part in the celebrations.
“For centuries, Russia has tarnished his name, sought to make Ukrainians look at their history through the eyes of others, convincing our people that Mazepa is a traitor. This is a lie, and this lie has lost. Forever. And today we honor our outstanding statesman and military figure, patron of the arts, head of the Cossack state Ivan Mazepa. And it is important that we do it right here, in the Lavra, which truly flourished under his tutelage – with churches, bell towers and its unique Ukrainian baroque face,” the head of state emphasized.
Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy and Minister of Culture of Ukraine Tetyana Berezhna emphasized that the opening of the memorial to Ivan Mazepa takes on special significance at a time when Ukrainians are once again fighting for their freedom and independence.
“The memorial sign in the Lavra returns to the Ukrainian space the historical truth about the man who strengthened our statehood and spiritual heritage. This is important now, when Ukraine is once again fighting for freedom and the right to independently determine its own future. The beginning of preparations for the 1000th anniversary of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra is a responsibility to our heritage and future generations of Ukrainians,” said Tetyana Berezhna.
With the support of Ivan Mazepa, stone defensive walls with towers were erected around the Upper Lavra, the Church of All Saints was built, the Trinity Gate Church was restored, and the Assumption Cathedral and other monastery buildings were renovated.
According to the Director General of the National Reserve, Maksym Ostapenko, today historical justice was restored in the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra.
“For the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, Ivan Mazepa is not only an outstanding statesman, but also one of the largest donors. It was with his support that the shrine acquired the architectural image that the whole world knows today. By returning such figures to our historical space, we are winning the fight for our own memory, which Russia has been trying to distort and oust Ukrainian heroes from it for centuries,” noted Maksym Ostapenko.
The memorial sign was created by sculptors Oles Sydoruk and Borys Krylov in collaboration with architect Viktor Yurkiv, researcher Olga Kovalevska, and the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance.
“Working on the commemorative sign, we sought to recreate Ivan Mazepa as accurately as possible. We took his lifetime engraving by Martin Bernigerot as a basis and worked in close cooperation with historians. It was important for us that it was not only a work of art, but also a historically accurate tribute to a person who played a significant role in the history of Ukraine and the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra,” noted sculptor Oles Sydoruk.
The pedestal for the bust also has a special history. It was made from a granite plinth left over from the destruction of the Assumption Cathedral in 1941, as well as elements of the church’s carved iconostasis. It was the Assumption Cathedral that Ivan Mazepa and his mother Mary Magdalene generously supported at one time.
On the holiday, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky also signed a decree on the celebration of the 975th anniversary of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra and the beginning of preparations for its 1000th anniversary.
Over the next 25 years, it is planned to renew and preserve the architectural monuments, museum collections and buildings of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, as well as implement scientific, restoration and cultural projects. The state, the museum community, scientists and patrons will join forces so that in 2051 the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra will worthily celebrate its thousandth anniversary.
