Dumenko: Mazepa returned to Lavra thanks to Zelensky
Ukrainian officials at the Mazepa monument in the Lavra. Photo: Office of the President
Speaking at an event marking the 20th anniversary of the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory, OCU head Epifaniy Dumenko said that a bust of Hetman Ivan Mazepa had been installed at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra thanks to the support of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
According to the OCU leader, the installation of the bust at the monastery was a "landmark event" made possible through cooperation with the Institute of National Memory and the president's assistance. He also added that, after years of efforts, a monument to Mazepa is planned for central Kyiv.
Speaking about "spiritual independence," Dumenko claimed that the enemy had oppressed Ukrainians for centuries and kept them under "spiritual occupation." He said the OCU had ultimately secured autocephaly and that any attempts by the aggressor state to use religious organizations to destroy the Ukrainian nation and its identity were doomed to fail.
As the UOJ previously reported, Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers backed Zelensky's proposal to erect a monument to Mazepa in place of Lenin.
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