“Ancient Chernihiv”
Chernihiv is one of the oldest
cities of Ukraine still preserving up to 50 architectural monuments of ХІ – ХІХ centuries and up to 200 memorial monuments and
places connected with outstanding people. That’s why as far as in 1946
Chernihiv was ranked among 3 historic cities of Ukraine after Kyiv and Lviv.
In order to improve protection and
preservation of architectural, historic and art monuments the decree №125 of Council
of Ministers of USSR created Chernihiv State architectural-historical park as a
branch of State architectural-historical park “Sophiyivs’kyi Museum” on 20
February 1967.
In order to preserve architectural-historic monuments possessing
outstanding architectural-historical and art value in Chernihiv region the decree №344 of Council of Ministers of USSR on 22 June 1978
made Chernihiv State architectural-historical park an independent establishment
with a branch in Novhorod-Sivers’kyi.
Taking into account the important
role of Chernihiv State architectural-historical park in preserving especially
valuable architectural, historic and cultural monuments, and its role in
recreation and development of national-cultural traditions of Ukrainian people
President of Ukraine issued a decree №1392/98 of December 29, 1998 which gave
the park national status.
According to the direction №233-p of Cabinet of Ministers of
Ukraine of April 24, 2003 the whole property complex of National
architectural-historical park “Ancient Chernihiv” was conveyed from the common
property of Chernihiv region local communities to state property subordinating
it to State Committee of Ukraine of building and architecture (now Ministry of
regional development and building of Ukraine).
Main activities of the park:
▪ protection
and restoration of architectural and historic monuments
▪ scientific and educational activities
▪ scientific-research work
▪ stocktaking and preservation of museum values
National architectural-historical
park “Ancient Chernihiv” is one of the main tourist destinations of Chernihiv
region and Ukraine. It includes 29 unique architectural and historic
monuments, six of which refer to pre-Mongol period and are considered
the oldest in Eastern Europe. Materials
are being prepared for their including to the ENESCO List of .World Heritage.
Thanks to park’s activities during the most
difficult decades of the 20th century it managed to rescue and
preserve unique architectural complexes of Chernihiv for the posterity: the
oldest temple of Kyiv Rus’ – Spas’kyi (Our Savior) Cathedral (beginning of the
11th century), one of the biggest in Europe tumulus necropolises (9th-10th
centuries), outstanding monument of cave-building – St. Anthony caves (11th-18th
centuries), unique collection of icon painting (17th-19th
centuries), and monuments of writing and book-printing (17th-19th
centuries).
200 thousand admirers of antiquities
and culture visit park’s museums and exhibitions annually.
And for the whole period of park’s
activities its monuments and expositions have been visited by more than 8
million tourists, governmental delegations from France, the USA, Russia, Great
Britain, Northern Korea, New Zealand, Japan, Canada and other countries of the
world. Chernihiv is a part of “Necklace of Slavutych” tourist route.
The stuff of the park numbers 50
employees, 18 of whom are scientists.
The stuff of National
architectural-historical park is conducting great research activity. They
organize scientific readings ”Chernihiv antiquity”, with researchers from
different regions of Ukraine and abroad participating. And the scientists of
the park take part in international and all-Ukraine scientific congresses. They
have prepared more than 450 scientific works, they are publishing materials of
congresses and books.
The stuff of the Park completed more
than 45 scientific and research expeditions that let gather significant
scientific and fund material, which includes more than 70 thousand units of
issue. It is a unique collection of professional, folk and Old Belief icon
making of 18th-19th centuries which numbers more than 800
icons, the collection of books published before the 18th century
which includes more than 100 books, fund of photonegatives (more than 7000),
wooden carving, architectural-building parts, unique collection of stamped
bricks (up to 1000 units), fabric, embroidery and devotional articles (more
than 500 unites of issue), and the collection of art metal (up to 200 units of
issue including matchless Sanctuary doors from Borys and Hlib Cathedral), and
archeological collection (more than 50 thousand units of issue).
Great attention is paid to
exhibition activities. In 2000 NAHP developed the proramme of cooperation with
leading museums and historical parks of
Ukraine, outstanding artists of our country. More than 20 exhibitions have been
opened in the exhibition halls of “Ancient Chernihiv” historical Park since
then. For example, exhibition “Bible subjects in the works of outstanding
artists of the 18th-19th centuries” from the funds of
Kyiv museum of Russian art which displayed paintings, gravures, lithographs,
etchings of such outstanding Russian artists as Karl Bryulov, Illia Repin,
Mykola He, Mykhailo Nesterov. At the exhibition from the funds of National Art
Museum of Ukraine “Woman’s image in Ukrainian art” Chernihivites saw the
canvases of famous Ukrainian artists of the 19th-beginning of the 20th
centuries: Tropinin, Krychevs’kyi, Pymonenko, Soshenko, Selezn’yov, Volokydin.
Especially interesting for our inhabitants was the exhibition dedicated to the
heritage of great Ukrainian poet and artist Taras Shevchenko. Art admirers from
all parts of Chernihiv region arrived to the exhibition of embroidered icons of
91- year-old priest Dmytro Blazheyovs’kyi, a Ukrainian man living in Italy now.
In recent years exhibitions of
famous Ukrainian artists – members of
Artists’ Union of Ukraine – have taken place, for example, Yevhen
Leschenko, Ivan Pylypenko, Mykhailo Hayovyi, Mykola Mudryi, Leonid Pavlenko,
and Maryna Orlova.
Personal exhibitions of People’s
Artist of Ukraine, Academician, Hero of Ukraine Tetyana Yablons’ka have taken
place twice (from the funds of National Art Museum of Ukraine and family collection kindly given by
daughter – Hayane Atayan).
And in general for the last 40 years
of activities more than 120 temporary exhibitions have taken place and 10
permanent expositions are displayed in the historical park.
So, National
architectural-historical park “Ancient Chernihiv” is one of the greatest and
most outstanding architectural-art complexes of Ukraine, and its stuff
constantly works at preserving, studying, exploration and popularization of
park’s architectural monuments and its unique exhibits.
