The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra has approved the installation of a memorial plaque honoring Hetman Ivan Mazepa

The Expert Council of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve has approved a plan to erect a memorial to Hetman Ivan Mazepa on the grounds of the monastery complex. According to Life.kyiv.ua, experts view this initiative as an important step toward restoring historical justice and recognizing the hetman’s significant contribution to the development of the monastery.

The memorial is planned to be placed near the Assumption Cathedral. The monument will consist of a bronze bust of the hetman mounted on a granite column approximately 2.5 meters high. According to the project’s authors, fragments of historical granite directly associated with the Assumption Cathedral will be used to create the pedestal. The bust will become a key point on a new tourist route—the “Mazepa Trail.”

During an expert discussion attended by historians and military personnel, the role of Ivan Mazepa as one of the greatest patrons in the history of the Lavra was emphasized. It was during his reign that the monastery’s distinctive Baroque appearance took shape, which is now considered a symbol of Ukrainian cultural heritage. Olga Kovalevska, Ph.D. in History, noted that plans to erect a monument to the hetman in the capital have existed since 2007, but have not yet been fully implemented.

At the conclusion of the meeting, participants adopted a resolution recommending that the Kyiv authorities revisit the issue of erecting a large-scale monument to Ivan Mazepa in the city. Experts are convinced that bringing such historical figures back into the public sphere helps strengthen national identity and preserve the memory of outstanding figures from the past.

It is worth noting that Ivan Mazepa remains a controversial historical figure, since in 1708, during the events of the Great Northern War between the Russian Empire and the Kingdom of Sweden, he, as hetman of the Zaporizhian Army, betrayed Russian Tsar Peter I by defecting to the side of Swedish King Charles XII. As a result of Mazepa’s decision, many churches on the territory of present-day Ukraine were ravaged by the Swedes. For these actions, HetmanIvan Mazepa was excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church, a penalty that remains in effect to this day.