Symbolism, History, and Light: Presentation of the Sculpture “Mazepa”

National Museum “Kyiv Art Gallery” | From March 20, 2026

Mazepa

bronze, 230 cm high

Exhibition of a Single Sculpture

On the birthday of Hetman Ivan Mazepa, the sculpture “Mazepa” was presented at the Museum “Kyiv National Art Gallery.”

This day brought together different layers of time. The presence of the Third President of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko, and Kateryna Yushchenko gave the event a special resonance — as if two historical figures met within the space of culture and memory.

Mazepa is a symbol of our civilizational choice. Today, we continue the trajectory he initiated over 300 years ago. His uprising against the Moscow Tsar was a significant early attempt by Ukraine to move beyond the orbit of an empire and reorient itself toward the European political context. It marked a moment when Ukraine affirmed its identity as a distinct political entity.

In this exhibition, light does not merely emphasize the sculpture’s form and texture, but reveals its inner structure. The contrast lighting — sharp and angled — selectively brings out individual fragments of the form without disrupting its overall perception. Within this field of light, meanings emerge more distinctly: the labyrinth as a sign of complex historical choice, the apse as an image of unwavering faith and the creation of the Temple of Statehood.