On the occasion of Constitution Day of Ukraine, Maksym Ostapenko, Director General of the National Preserve “Kyiv Pechersk Lavra,” presented to President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena Zelenska a memorial marker to Hetman Ivan Mazepa and his regalia, which have been installed in the Lavra.
“We are righting yet another historical injustice. From now on, here in the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, a bust of a great Ukrainian and patron of the Lavra, Ivan Mazepa, will stand, as it rightfully should. For centuries, Russia has smeared his name, striving to make Ukrainians view their own history through the eyes of others, convincing our people that Mazepa was a traitor. This is a lie, and this lie has failed. Forever,” the Head of State emphasized.
The President noted that Ivan Mazepa was an outstanding statesman and military leader, patron, and head of the Cossack State. Under his patronage, the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra flourished with churches, bell towers, and its unique Ukrainian Baroque face.
“Without doubt, a figure of this scale deserves a full-fledged monument in the capital of our state. I believe that there is an ideal location for it. It has been there since December 2013 on Shevchenko Boulevard, and I am certain that where Lenin fell, Mazepa will stand firm,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The memorial marker is a bronze bust, whose image was based on the 1706 portrait of the Hetman by Martin Bernigeroth. Thanks to Ivan Mazepa, the construction of the walls and fortification complex around the Upper Lavra was funded, and the construction and reconstruction of churches was initiated, including the Dormition Cathedral, the Trinity Gate Church, and the Church of All Saints. He also contributed to the development of the Lavra printing house and Lavra book printing.
Hetman Ivan Mazepa’s regalia is a unique historical rarity. It is based on a medallion bearing the Crucifixion of Christ and Ivan Mazepa’s coat of arms. It was made in Central and Eastern Europe in the early 18th century. In the 1930s, the artifact came into the possession of the government of the Ukrainian People’s Republic in exile, which, using donations from Ukrainians, commissioned a silver chain from jewelers. The regalia became an attribute of the head of the UPR, and on August 24, 1992, it was ceremonially handed over to President of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk.
