Monument to Ivan Kotliarevskyi

What? - Monument to Ivan Kotlyarevsky

Description

Ivan Kotliarevskyi (1769-1838), the classic of modern Ukrainian literature, was born in Poltava, where he lived most of his life and created his works. 

At the end of the nineteenth century, progressive Ukrainians raised the issue of celebrating the centenary of Kotliarevsky's Aeneid and the construction of a monument to the writer on this occasion. Only ten years later did the tsarist government allow fundraising for the monument, but only in the Poltava province. Funds for the monument to I. Kotliarevskyi came from ordinary people and from figures from other cities of Ukraine. A total of 12 thousand rubles was collected. For eight years, the local authorities were deciding on the location of the monument. The monument was unveiled on August 30, 1903. On that day, envoys from all over Ukraine, famous cultural figures such as Lesia Ukrainka, Mykhailo Kotsiubynskyi, Mykola Starytskyi, Panas Myrnyi, Vasyl Stefanyk, Volodymyr Samiilenko, Olena Pchilka, and others gathered in Poltava. The guest of honor was 111-year-old Varvara Lelechyha. In her younger years, she worked as a maid for I. Kotliarevskyi and then carried fond memories of him throughout her long life. More than 30 wreaths were laid at the foot of the monument. 

The monument to the first Ukrainian-language writer is crowned with a bronze bust of I. Kotliarevskyi. The pedestal is decorated with three high reliefs depicting three episodes from Kotliarevsky's works - one each from The Aeneid, Natalka Poltavka, and Moskal the Magician. The bust and high reliefs were made by Poltava sculptor Leonid Pozen for free as a personal contribution. The sculptor worked on them for more than six years. The pedestal was designed by architect O. Shershov. The artist V. Volkov, the sculptor P. Pevnyi, and the architect O. Zinoviev took part in the work on the monument. The height of the monument is 5.7 meters. The monument is a masterpiece of Ukrainian sculptural art.

The festivities continued with a solemn meeting of the Poltava City Council in the House of Education named after M.Gogol. Despite the fact that the government had banned speeches in Ukrainian, Olena Pchilka defied the ban by speaking in Ukrainian. 

Speciality

The monument to Ivan Kotliarevskyi is one of the best examples of monumental monuments of the late classicism. In accordance with the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of 03.09.2009 No. 928, the monument is included in the State Register of Immovable Monuments of Ukraine of National Importance, protection No. 160011-N.