Exhibition “Kobzar as a singer of Ukrainian shrines” opens at the Kyiv Caves Monastery
On May 24, at the exhibition hall of the Holy Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv-Caves Lavra, on the 150th anniversary of Taras Shevchenko’s reburial at Chernechey Hill in Kano with the blessing of Metropolitan Volodymyr an exhibition “Kobzar as a singer of Ukrainian shrines ” opened, organized by the Synodal Department “Mission Church and Culture ” .
Note that the exhibition presents artifacts from the personal collection of the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and from the collection of the Museum “Orthodox Ukraine, of the Kyiv Metropolis.
The exhibition will present examples of the creative poetic and artistic heritage of Taras Shevchenko. For he as an artist and master of expression depicted and described domestic shrines: the Kyiv Caves and Pochayiv Lavras, Mezhhyrya monastery, St. Elias Church in Subotiv, the Cross installed in the place of martyrdom of Prince Boris. Sometimes his pictures are the only evidence of the appearance of buildings, because some of the mentioned churches and monasteries were subsequently destroyed. The exhibition includes reproductions of paintings, collections of poetry, pre-revolutionary edition of Shevchenko’s “Poet”, posthumous publication of magazines “Osnova” (1861-1862) with selected works and memories of the relatives and friends of the poet, portraits by Taras Hryhorovych.
A special place in the exhibition occupies a copy of the facsimile edition of Peresopnytsia Gospel – one of the first Ukrainian translations of the canonical text of the Four Gospels, remarkable monument of old handwritten language and art of the XVI century.
Chairman of the Synodal Department “Mission Church and Culture” hegumeness Seraphima (Shevchyk), referring to the importance of the exhibition, pointed to a little known fact – Taras visited Pereyaslav region, where he saw the Peresopnytsya and described it. In addition, he described as an artist as a lot of places, such as the cross in the place of martyrdom of Prince Boris, the church in Subotiv, Pochayiv Lavra, monastery of Mezhyhyrya etc. It should be noted that sometimes his drawings are the only evidence of how these shrines looked, because some of the temples and monasteries have not survived by now.
“This exhibition is crucial for us. There we represent the paintings by Kobzar, his verses dedicated to the Orthodox shrines, including Peresopnitsya Gospel. Since the poet’s hand touched it, leafed it through, he left a very exciting description of the Gospel, and said there is no longer such rarity and masterpiece anywhere. So for us, these anniversaries are united into a single whole “, said hegumeness.
The event is arranged to celebrate 450 years of the Peresopnytsia Gospel.
Note that at the state level the year 2011 was announced the Year of the Ukrainian First Book: now we celebrate the 450th anniversary of the Peresopnytsia Gospels and 455 years of its handwriting.
