Hryhoriy Skovoroda Memorial Complex

About

The Hryhorii Skovoroda National Literary Memorial Museum (Ukrainian: Національний літературно-меморіальний музей Г. С. Сковороди) is a museum in Skovorodynivka, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine dedicated to the life and work of Hryhorii Skovoroda, and a memorial complex of monuments from the 18th century. It was established in 1972. The museum is a regional municipal institution, the founder of which is the Kharkiv Regional Council. The museum collection had thousands of exhibits. The territory of the complex, which is 18.2 ha in size, contains monuments of history, architecture, monumental art, and landscape art. On 6 May 2022, the museum building was destroyed as the result of a hit with a Russian missile during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Hryhorii Skovoroda spent the last four years of his life in the village of Pan-Ivanivka (now Skovorodynivka), in the estate of the Kovalivsky landowners. The philosopher ended up there due to his friendship with Andriy Kovalivsky, the son of the landowner Ivan that owned the khutir and the estate.

The historian Dmytro Bahalii was the first to propose the creation of the museum dedicated to Skovoroda in Pan-Ivanivka in a letter to the head of People's Commissariat of Education Hryhoriy Hrynko on 24 January 1922, along with other suggestions on honoring the philosopher. However, the museum was ultimately opened in 1972, on the 250th anniversary of Skovoroda's birth in the 18th-century Kovalivsky estate. Before 1972, the building housed a school, and in 1960 it hosted a museum that was created on non-profit basis.

The exhibits for the newly created state museum were collected by the employees of the Kharkiv Historical Museum. They gathered the items from libraries and museums of Moscow, Leningrad, Kiev, and Kharkov. Books for the museum were provided, in particular, by the Lenin Library in Moscow, the Social Sciences Library of the USSR Academy of Sciences, the Library of the USSR Academy of Sciences, and the Scientific Library of Kharkiv University. The Kyiv Museum of Western Art provided the Skovoroda Museum with rare 18th-century engravings depicting European cities visited by Skovoroda. The Kharkiv Art Museum donated a sculptural work by Yevgeny Lanceray depicting episodes from the life of the Cossacks. The museum also acquired the " Kharkiv Fables [ uk ] ", an anniversary edition of Skovoroda's works from 1894, and other literature. Leonid Shmatko [ uk ] 's paintings "Skovoroda Among the Peasants" and Viktor Vikhtynsky [ uk ] 's drawing "Skovoroda Near the Collegium" were also created and donated.

The Soviet-era exhibition was stationed in the museum until 2000, when the restoration works of the building had begun. In 2006, a new exhibition was opened, the creation of which was led by Leonid Ushkalov [ uk ].

On 18 June 2008, the museum received national status by decree of the President of Ukraine.

The exhibition was presented in four halls. The first two halls of the museum were dedicated to the biography and creativity of Skovoroda, the third—to honoring the philosopher, and the last—as a memorial.

The museum of the exposition included paintings, drawings, household items, clothes worn at the time, publications of works and books of Hryhorii Skovoroda. The interior was decorated with folk art, such as ceramics and embroidery. In particular, the exhibition consisted of:

- models of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and the Kharkiv Collegium

- 18th-century engravings and lithographs

- sculpture of Hryhorii Skovoroda by Ihor Yastrebov [ uk ]

- authograph of the poem "Dream", the work "The Beginning Door to Christian Good Manners" and other works

- 18th-century English watch that might have been used by Skovoroda (transferred from the Chernihiv Historical Museum)

- the violin which Skovoroda is said to had played and other musical instruments

- chest that belonged to the Kovalivsky landowners and was used by Skovoroda The memorial room recreated a scene from the time period: a secretary, a chair, a writing instrument, a table clock, a candlestick, a chest, clothes, a bed replica, a painted chest, a 19th-century Slobozhan icon of Theotokos, and a lamp replica.

In addition to the main building that houses the museum, the garden ensemble also includes a manor house, a barn, and a park.

The park is located on the slopes of two green ridges with artificial ponds. Its shape is a nearly perfect square with sides 150 m long, with seven linden alleys intersecting in its center.

The park has preserved a well, the site of Skovoroda's first burial, and the manager's office building. In 1972, a monument by Ivan Kavaleridze and a memorial sign by Liubov Zhukovska and Dmytro Sova were installed. In 2007, an alley of sculptures was created.

The memorial complex is a historic monument of national significance registered by the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine number 928 on 3 September 2009 and assigned the protection number 200024-Н.

Scientific conferences dedicated to Hryhorii Skovoroda and various cultural events were held in the museum. It became traditional to hold the July festival "Today Kupala, and tomorrow Ivana". In 2012, the literature and art festival "De libertate" was launched. Artistic and entertainment events involving apples or their image "ApPleinAir" has been held since 2013.