Did you know that after the fire of 1718, the metal for the new bells for the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra was sent from Kamyanska Sich?

The fire destroyed most of the monastery bells, which melted or broke, falling from the bell towers. Therefore, in 1719, in response to the request of the Lavra Archimandrite Ioannikiy (Senyutovych), concerning the materials for the restoration of the lost bells, Tsar Peter I issued a decree authorizing the transportation of riveted guns, broken bells, church utensils and copper scrap to the Monastery. The metal came from different places, including Kamyany Zaton (the fortress ruined by the Russians under one of the terms of the Pruth Treaty), Bilgorod (where much of the metal from Kamyany Zaton was transported to), Kharkiv (where the scrap from Kamyany Zaton and Sich was also kept) and arsenal (German – “Zeughaus”) in the territory of the destroyed Flor’s Ascension Convent. Because of the bureaucratic acrimony, the process lasted until 1721. A lot of well-known people of that time were involved in those activities. Among them there were Azov Governor-General Fedir Apraksin, Kyiv Governor-General Dmytro Golitsyn, Kharkiv Colonel Hryhoriy Kvitka (buried in the cemetery of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Great Church. The tombstone has survived to this day).

Captions to the illustrations:

1. Table medal in honor of Fedir Apraksin. Engraver S. Yudin. 1708

2. Tombstone of Colonel Hryhoriy Kvitka in the territory of National Preserve “Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra”. Drawing by Y. Lytvynenko.

Hanna Filipova