Foreign Minister: We are Mazepists and proud of it
Ukraine's Foreign Minister supported Zelensky's initiatives, calling them 'the great return of Ukraine'.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha considers Zelensky's decisions to erect a monument to Mazepa in the center of Kyiv and to establish a National Pantheon as 'the great return of Ukraine'. The diplomat stated on his Facebook page that the 'Russian deception' regarding the Hetman has definitively failed, and that the very nickname 'Mazepists' is now a source of pride.
'We are the Mazepists — proud descendants of Ivan Mazepa — and we are proud of it,' the official wrote. According to him, the Hetman's name is inseparably linked to the flourishing of Ukrainian culture, large-scale construction of shrines, and the formation of the Cossack Baroque style.
The government's action program also includes the establishment of the 'Order of Europe' and preparations for the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the founding of the Lavra. According to Sybiha, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already begun work in three key areas: the restoration of the Dormition Cathedral following the 'Notre-Dame model', the return of Ukrainian relics from abroad, and the amendment of international rules for the protection of shrines through UNESCO.
The Minister stated that the strike on the Lavra cathedral demonstrated 'Moscow's hypocrisy', as it only pays lip service to being a defender of Christianity. Ukrainian diplomats are currently in negotiations with foreign partners to consolidate financial and political support for these initiatives.
Earlier, Zelensky announced that a monument to Hetman Ivan Mazepa will be erected on Shevchenko Boulevard in Kyiv — on the site where a monument to Lenin was demolished in December 2013.
