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Archaeological research will be conducted on the territory of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy to search for the foundation of the Epiphany Cathedral of the Kyiv-Bratsky Monastery.
This was reported by the press service of the Kyiv City State Administration (KCSA).
“On the territory of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, the Center for the Conservation of Archaeological Objects, together with the Institute of Archaeology of the NAS of Ukraine and the Academy, will conduct reconnaissance archaeological research on the location of the foundations of the monument “Remains of the Epiphany Cathedral of the Kyiv-Bratsk Monastery”,” the report says.
They will search for the burial place of Hetman Sahaidachny
According to Marina Solovyova, Director of the Department of Cultural Heritage Protection of the Kyiv City State Administration, the work was initiated within the framework of memorandums of cooperation.
“I would like to emphasize that in 2022, at the request of the Cultural Heritage Conservation Center, this monument was included in the List of Cultural Heritage Sites of the City of Kyiv. And in 2023, at the request of the Department of Cultural Heritage Protection, it was included in the State Register of Immovable Monuments of Ukraine,” Solovyova noted.
According to one hypothesis, during the construction of the stone Epiphany Cathedral, the burial place of Hetman Petro Sahaidachny was moved. Therefore, archaeological study of the remains of the cathedral may help determine the location of the famous Hetman's grave.
What is known about the Epiphany Cathedral?
Before its destruction in 1936, the Epiphany Cathedral was one of the most striking examples of Ukrainian Baroque Hetman churches, its image appearing on postcards and photographs.
The brick Epiphany Cathedral is associated with the names of two prominent figures in Ukrainian history – the famous Cossack hetmans Petro Sahaidachny and Ivan Mazepa.
The stone cathedral was built in 1690-1695 as the main church of the Kiev Bratsky Monastery. The cathedral is also mentioned in most guidebooks to Kyiv from the 19th to the early 20th centuries, as it was one of the most popular churches in the capital.