Project “Restoration of the Tombstone of Duke Konstanty Ostrogski in the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the National Kiev-Pechersk Historical and Cultural Reserve”
The National Kiev-Pechersk Historical and Cultural Reserve has prepared project “Restoration of the Tombstone of Duke Konstanty Ostrogski in the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the National Kiev-Pechersk Historical and Cultural Reserve”.
The dynasty of Ostrogski Dukes represents the period of history common for the Ukranian and Lithuanian nations, the period when Ukraine and Lithuania were welded together into one state – the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. One of the most prominent representatives of this family was Duke Konstanty Ostrogski (1460–1530), who had titles of the Castellan of Vilnius, Marshal of Volynia and Elder of Lutsk, Vinnytsia, Bratslav and Zvenyhorodka. Duke Konstanty Ostrogski became famous as one of the most renowned European military leaders of the 16th century, who had more than thirty battles throughout his military career and suffered defeat only in two of them. His greatest victory the Duke gained in the battle of Orsha (1514), during which a force of 40,000 of Muscovite soldiers was defeated.
Konstanty Ostrogski is considered one of the most generous patrons of Kiev Pechersk Monastery. He actively participated in restoration of the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary after the attack of Crimean Tatars in 1482. He contributed to the restoration and renovation of the wall frescoes, installation of a new carved iconostasis and construction of the Chapel of Saint John the Theologian near it.
Konstanty Ostrogski died on September 11, 1530 in Turov. Under his will, he was buried in the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Kiev Pechersk Monastery. Under the order of his son, Duke Konstanty Wasyl Ostrogski, the Voivode of Kiev, in 1579, a marble tombstone (it is thought that the sculptor was H. Horst) was built over the burial place. It was one of the few monuments in the territory of Ukraine, the structural scheme of which complied with the type of the Renaissance wall gravestones existing in Europe at the time. The monument was destroyed together with the Cathedral in 1941.
The necessity to restore this tombstone is preconditioned by the concept of full-scale renovation of the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary including the architectural and artistic design of its interior.
Ukranian and Lithuanian scientists and architects have repeatedly put forward their proposals to restore the tombstone of Duke Konstanty Ostrogski in the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Kiev Pechersk Monastery.
In 2014, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Lithuania to Ukraine Petras Vaitiekūnas initiated the restoration of the lost tombstone by consolidated efforts of Ukraine and Lithuania.
The reserve informed the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine (letter No 04/22-224 of 30/10/2014) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (letter No 04/22-235 of 20/11/2014) on the restoration of the tombstone.
In 2015, sculptors – implementers of the project were selected. On the part of Ukraine – the members of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine Oles Sidoruk and Boris Krilov. The Republic of Lithuania is represented by sculptor Arūnas Sakalauskas, professor, Head of the Department of Visual Design of Klaipėda Faculty of Vilnius Academy of Arts.
In 2015, Ukrainian architects and historians discussed the details of project “Restoration of the Tombstone of Duke Konstanty Ostrogski in the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the National Kiev-Pechersk Historical and Cultural Reserve”. Professor A. Bumblauskas, the Dean of Faculty of History of Vilnius University, joined this discussion.
Some scientific advice and organisational aid was also provided by know Polish experts – Deputy Director of the National Cultural Institution Wawel Royal Castle Ježy-T. Petrus and Director of the National Museum in Krakow Andžej Betlej. The public discussion of the project of restoration of tombstone of Duke Konstanty Ostrogski was held in the National Kiev-Pechersk Historical and Cultural Reserve on October 13, 2015. It was attended by representatives of public organisations, scientists and architects. The project and prototype model of the sculpture (scale 1:15) was approved by all.
The text of inscription on the tombstone of Duke Konstanty Ostrogski in the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the National Kiev-Pechersk Historical and Cultural Reserve has been harmonised with M. S. Hrushevsky Institute of Ukrainian Archaeography and Source Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (letter of May 23, 2016).
Project “Restoration of the Tombstone of Duke Konstanty Ostrogski in the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the National Kiev-Pechersk Historical and Cultural Reserve” won the support of the Interparliamentary Assembly of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania and the Sejm and Senate of the Republic of Poland (held on May 30-31, 2016). The deputies of the Interparliamentary Assembly appealed to the member states of the Assembly with a request to give maximum support to the implementation of this project.
The project documentation was harmonised with the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine (letter No 629/10/61-16 of 27/07/2016). The following stage of the monument’s restoration in 2016 became the production of its model at a scale of 1:5.
On September 7, 2016, after the presentation of the project of restoration of the tombstone of Duke Konstanty Ostrogski in the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Office of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania lead by the vice-chancellor and attended by vice-ministers of defence, foreign affairs and culture, the project was unanimously supported.
On September 14, 2016, the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania approved project “Restoration of the Tombstone of Duke Konstanty Ostrogski in the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the National Kiev-Pechersk Historical and Cultural Reserve”.