Ukraine Honors European Legacy of Hetman Ivan Mazepa With Major Exhibition in Kyiv
A landmark exhibition dedicated to one of Ukraine’s most pivotal historical figures, Hetman Ivan Mazepa, has opened at the National Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Reserve, highlighting his role in shaping Ukraine’s European trajectory.
The exhibition, titled “Mazepa: Strategy for a European Ukraine,” is a collaboration between seven leading Ukrainian museums and cultural archives, The Gaze reports, citing The Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine.
Mazepa (1639–1709), a statesman, military leader, and cultural patron, is a towering figure in Ukrainian history. As Hetman of the Zaporizhian Host, he sought to secure Ukrainian sovereignty through reforms and international alliances — including a historic attempt to align with Sweden against Russian imperial expansion. For centuries, he has symbolized Ukraine’s quest for independence and its European future.
The exhibition showcases over 180 rare artifacts from the late 17th to early 18th centuries — a transformative era when Mazepa led the Cossack state. The collection includes original manuscripts, early printed books, ceremonial weapons, jewelry, military regalia, and items from the daily lives of Ukrainian elites. These items, drawn from collections across seven Ukrainian institutions, together represent a cultural treasure valued at over 300 million UAH (about $7.5 million).
Speaking at the opening, Ukraine’s Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications, Mykola Tochytskyi, emphasized the exhibit’s importance in countering centuries of historical distortion by the Russian state.
“It is vital to know our history and never surrender the right to interpret it to Moscow’s dangerous hands,” Tochytskyi said. “Mazepa understood this challenge. Pylyp Orlyk, the author of the first Ukrainian Constitution and one of Mazepa’s closest allies, articulated a narrative of Cossack history that rejected Moscow’s claim to the legacy of Kyivan Rus. Since then, Russia has never stopped trying to appropriate Kyiv and all of Ukraine. We must resist this with weapons, diplomacy, and the work of cultural institutions.”
The exhibition includes a spotlight on Orlyk’s Constitution of 1710, considered one of Europe’s earliest constitutional texts and a foundational document of Ukraine’s democratic heritage.
Tochytskyi also encouraged museums to continue developing bold projects that strengthen the image of Ukraine as a state that has long resisted Russian domination and pursued a European path.
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