THE HISTORY OF THE CONSTRUCTION AND UNVEILING OF THE MONUMENT TO V.I. HRYHOROVYCH IN TELISAVETGRAD

Abstract

The article deals with the history of the construction and unveiling of the monument to Viktor Ivanovych Hryhorovych, a teacher, scientist, professor and prominent European Slavicist of the nineteenth century. The authors identify two stages in the history of the monument. The first one is from the moment of the professor's burial, because it was at that time that the idea of raising funds for the construction of the monument was born and even the first donations were received. The second stage is from the moment the Historical and Philological Society initiated fundraising for the monument again during the celebration of the anniversary of Novorossiysk University. It took 14 years after the first charitable donations, but this time the matter was brought to an end. The funds that had been raised earlier and kept in the city of Elisavetgrad all this time were transferred to Novorossiysk University. The open charity fundraiser brought together the public and intellectuals of large cities, towns and even villages. In October 1891, the funds were enough to start work. The article states that O.O. Bernardazzi was invited as an architect and B.V. Edwards as a sculptor. The monument itself was made of Karar marble. The unveiling ceremony took place on 18 October 1892 at the Peter and Paul Cemetery in Yelisavethrad. The scientific research presents original photographs of the monument to the professor from its unveiling, a photo from 1947 after it was moved from the Peter and Paul Cemetery to the Kirovohrad Regional Museum of Local Lore, a photo from 2022 from the Rivne Cemetery, and a photo from 2022 - a copy of the monument to V.I. Hryhorovych, which was made from the original and unveiled in 1972 near the former Zemsky Real School. Thanks to the photographic sources, it is possible to trace the state of preservation and changes that have occurred to the original monument to V.I. Hryhorovych over this period. Unfortunately, the original monument has lost one of its parts - the folios and the Slavic-style border. Today, the monument is in need of restoration.