A bust of hetman Ivan Mazepa was unveiled in Kiev-Pechersk Lavra

In the National Reserve «Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra» on December 1, the bust of hetman Ivan Mazepa was unveiled. This event was timed to coincide with the anniversary of the 1991 Ukrainian referendum on independence, and, according to the organizers, «was an important step in restoring historical justice and recognition of Mazepa’s contribution as an outstanding patron of the arts, at whose expense a number of structures were built on the territory of the sanctuary».

According to the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory, the memory of the hetman’s contribution «has been silenced and erased for centuries under the pressure of the Russian authorities.» Acting Director General of the sanctuary Svetlana Kotlyarevska emphasized that the appearance of the sculpture is «a manifestation of the continuity of Ukrainian state tradition and the victory of historical truth», as well as «evidence of the successful return of the Lavra to the Ukrainian national identity».

The authors of the sculptural composition were famous masters Oles Sidoruk and Borys Krylov. The project was realized with the financial support of the patronage fund «OLOS». The opening ceremony was also attended by representatives of the scientific community and the public.

Earlier, the head of the Synodal Information and Education Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Metropolitan Kliment (Vecherya) commented on the issue of anathema to Hetman Ivan Mazepa. The bishop is convinced that such ecclesiastical punishment of the hetman has a historical-political rather than ecclesiastical context, and prayers for Mazepa, as a builder, were performed in those churches that previously belonged to the UOC, but were taken away from the Church by the state.