Independence Square and the Bohdan Khmelnytsky Monument celebrate the history of Kiev and the nation of Ukraine, but the monuments at the Park of Eternal Glory are designed to remember a very different kind of history for both. Rather than celebrate the past, these monuments honor the victims of the wars and tragedies that have befallen the nation in order to make sure they’re remembered and acknowledged in the present to properly influence the future.
The Park of Eternal Glory and National Museum “Memorial to Holodomor victims”
The Park of Eternal Glory began to take shape in 1894 but eventually came to be dedicated to the fallen soldiers in World War II. The Glory Obelisk was installed in 1957 and is the central feature of the park. The Grave of the Unknown Solider as well as the Eternal Flame are located here as well, both of which are dedicated to the Ukrainians who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Within the Park is the National Museum “Memorial to Holodomor victims”, which honors the people who suffered from one of the worst tragedies to ever befall the nation. Holodomor was a man-made famine in 1932 and 1933 that killed millions of Ukrainians. The term is often translated into English as “murder by hunger”. The monument was opened in September 2003 while the sanctification of it took place in November 2008.
Together, these monuments honor the victims of the events that have come to shape the modern city of Kyiv and nation of Ukraine, and they do so in a way that is as notable as it is reverential.
Experiencing the Glory Obelisk and Hall of Memory
The Glory Obelisk, Eternal Flame and Grave of the Unknown Soldier are all easily accessible and allow visitors to see and experience them from multiple angles. A wide alley leads to the Glory Obelisk, and there are 34 graves of the people who participated in the defense and liberation of Kyiv on either side of the alley.
The Memorial Complex at the National Museum is open at specific times, where visitors can enter to see the museum that consists of the Memorial Complex and the underground Hall of Memory. There, visitors have an opportunity to commemorate the famines’ victims by lighting a candle and by ringing a bell. A collection of artifacts and information about the Holodomor is also on displayed throughout the Complex.
One of the most powerful pieces in the area is the “Bitter Memory of Childhood” sculpture, which depicts a starving girl clutching a few strands of wheat. The symbolism is her holding and hiding that wheat is significant, since people often had to hide any grain they managed to get hold of to stay alive. The hollowed eyes of the statue present a haunting image of the victimhood that the whole museum has come to represent.
While the complex is located on the Pechersk Hills, one of Kiev’s most picturesque and ancient places, the somber feeling of the monuments has ensured that residents and visitors understand the scope of the history that is being preserved and remembered. Doing so has given the city and nation a way to make sure these memories and experiences continue to influence how each moves forward.
Helping Define the Present and Future of Ukraine
Various symbols have been utilized throughout the complex, from the bronze figures of storks soaring from the base of the monument that represents the rebirth of the Ukrainian nation to the angels that represent the guardians of the souls of the starved. These monuments and symbols have enabled residents and visitors to understand the tragedy of the Ukrainian famines, and also allow them to have a better understanding of the scope of these events.
The setting might not seem the ideal one for a wedding, but many ceremonies are performed in the park. After having the official part at the registry office, newlyweds go to the Park of Eternal Glory to lay flowers to the monument of an Unknown Soldier. It’s an example of the various ways people can make this past an active part of their lives.
What’s being preserved in the area often has more than one purpose though, as the museum is more than just a museum. A database of the Ukrainian famines’ survivors and victims is being created at the museum, with the goal being to collect, study, preserve and disseminate materials and knowledge that illuminate the Holodomor as an act of genocide against the Ukrainian people. The museum also launched an Internet project to provide open and free access to collections of digitized materials on the Ukrainian famines. The project provides centralized access to archival collections of documents, periodicals, photographs, videos, and survivor and witness testimonies on all three famines in Ukraine.
These efforts and actions have all been made possible by the presence of the monuments designed to remember and to learn from the events that have come to shape the present of Ukraine and ensure their legacy carries on into the future.
A Legacy of Experiences and Memories
As the city of Kyiv and Ukraine as a whole work through what decommunization should look like to and for each, monuments that represent the experiences and memories of the people who lived and died as Ukrainians are more important than ever. The legacy that the Park of Eternal Glory and National Museum “Memorial to Holodomor victims” have created is specifically about these people, which has ensured these monuments will continue to serve as important points of interest for residents and visitors.
