The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine announces the launch of the large-scale project “Trident of the Motherland”. Finally, Ukrainians will get rid of the coat of arms of the USSR, and the trident will appear on the shield of the Motherland Monument. This symbol embodies not only a sense of national dignity, but also emphasizes the historical heritage and greatness of Ukrainians. Thus, Ukraine continues to overcome the negative consequences of communism and russification.
The event holds great national and symbolic significance in the historical context. Since Ukraine gained Independence, there have been attempts to reinterpret the monument. However, it is only now that this process is being completed. Starting from July, the installation process of the artistic composition “Trident” on the shield of the Motherland Monument will begin. This will be followed by the creation of the composition, preparatory work, fabrication and installation of the structure, the actual removal of the coat of arms of the USSR, and the installation of the trident.
“The process of overcoming the consequences of sovietization, russification, and communism is not only a legislative matter but also a significant social demand. The replacement of the coat of arms of the USSR with the trident was supported by 85% of respondents who participated in the survey conducted by ‘Diia’ one year ago. This survey became the most extensive in scale.
We have been working on the project of replacing the coat of arms for over a year and can finally announce all the details of the historical project “Trident of the Motherland” – the replacement of the coat of arms of the USSR with the trident on the shield of the Motherland Monument. This is a very complex process, which is why the ideas and intentions to do this in the early years of Independence remained unrealized. The funds for restoring historical justice have been collected solely from major businesses that want to be involved in this significant project in every sense.
So, we are working with a unique sculpture, a representative of the older generation, which accepts the new reality with its steel heart and contributes to the fight for our freedom and independence,” said Oleksandr Tkachenko, Minister of Culture and Information Policy.
The project organization “Ukrainian Institute of Steel Structures named after V. M. Shymanovskyi”, LLC, has developed the project for replacing the USSR emblem with the trident. The new emblem is a volumetric (not flat) structure. It is constructed using two types of metal: stainless steel of Ukrainian production by the Metinvest Group “Zaporizhstal” and a foreign manufacturer. The Motherland Monument itself was made of steel from “Zaporizhstal”, “Azovstal”, and Mariupol Metallurgical Plant named after Ilyich (MMKI).
Taking into account the challenging economic conditions caused by russian aggression, the installation of the trident on the shield of the Motherland Monument is being carried out solely with the support of major businesses. The project cost is 28 million UAH. It has been significantly reduced compared to the initial project calculations. This became possible through additional research, the involvement of experts, and the use of leading European technologies in the execution of the work.
The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine expresses gratitude to the donors who responded to the call to join the project. The Metinvest Group is manufacturing free of charge and donating a portion of the steel for the new trident emblem to the state, as well as serving as a financial partner for the project. The financial partners of the project also include NJSC “Naftogaz of Ukraine”, Monobank, Oschadbank, FUIB (PUMB), Nova Poshta, Gennadii Butkevych’s BGV charity fund, PrivatBank, Ukrainian Agrarian Holding, Persha Pryvatna Brovarnia (First Private Brewery company), KAN Development and KANBUD, OTP Bank, WOG, and the Association “Independent Association of Banks of Ukraine”.
The NGO “Agency for Cultural Resilience”(ACURE) serves as a partner in aggregating sources of funding. This organization collaborates with the Heritage Emergency Response Initiative to provide assistance to cultural institutions and establishments during the russian military aggression in Ukraine.
The sculptor of the project is Oleksii Pergamenshchyk. He is a graduate of the Republican Art School and the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture. He gained experience and honed his skills abroad. The sculptor founded the creative workshop “Pergamos” and specializes in stone carving without the use of gypsum models. His works are characterized by exceptional craftsmanship and depict the rich history of Ukraine.
The grandson and descendant of one of the authors of the Motherland Monument sculpture – sculptor Vasil Borodai – supports the idea of replacing the Soviet symbolism on the sculpture with the trident. He considers it a demand of the times, historical justice, and reflection of the new reality.
As a reminder, the Laws of Ukraine “On the condemnation and prohibition of propaganda of russian imperial policy in Ukraine and the decolonization of toponymy” and “On amendments to certain laws of Ukraine regarding the peculiarities of formation of the State Register of Immovable Monuments of Ukraine” provide for the removal of symbols of russian imperial and Soviet totalitarian policies from certain cultural heritage objects. The Motherland Monument holds local significance and its preservation is determined by the Law “On the Protection of Cultural Heritage”, which encompasses the implementation of this project.
There are a lot of interesting things ahead. Follow all the stages of the implementation of this historical project.
