The return of a legend to his home walls: Mykola Tomenko talks about commemorating the creator of the state coat of arms, Vasyl Krychevskyi, at KNUCA

The outstanding Ukrainian artist, architect and creator of the state coat of arms of the UNR era, Vasyl Krychevskyi, has symbolically returned to the walls of the Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture (KNUCA).

This was reported by the well-known politician and public figure Mykola Tomenko, who stressed the importance of preserving the memory of outstanding figures of Ukrainian history. Students are now greeted at the entrance by a special information stand and even unique university merchandise.

How Vasyl Krychevskyi “returned” to KNUCA: details of the initiative

An important working-group meeting took place at the Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture, devoted to preserving the creative legacy of the outstanding Ukrainian artist and architect, founder of architectural education in Ukraine, Vasyl Hryhorovych Krychevskyi. The meeting was chaired by the university's rector, Oleksii Dniprov.

Public figure and politician Mykola Tomenko, who is actively involved in popularising Ukrainian history and culture, told of the event on his Facebook page. According to him, the changes at the university are already visible today:

• At the main entrance to KNUCA, students and visitors are now greeted by an information stand about one of the creators of the institution itself.
• As part of the university's educational campaign “The Face of Freedom”, anyone who wishes can buy special “Krychevskyi merchandise”.
• The university plans to create a lecture hall named after Vasyl Krychevskyi at the Faculty of Architecture and to prepare a thorough study of his teaching work.

A man who defined an era: why everyone should know the name of Vasyl Krychevskyi

The figure of Vasyl Krychevskyi is fundamental for Ukrainian culture. As Mykola Tomenko recalls, Vasyl Hryhorovych was not only an outstanding artist but also a man who shaped the face of Ukrainian statehood and of modernism.

Krychevskyi was:

• The author of the State Coat of Arms of Ukraine of the Ukrainian People's Republic era, approved by the Central Rada on 22 March 1918 and today the main symbol of the independent country.
• The creator of a new Ukrainian style in architecture, known as “Ukrainian modernism”.
• The author of designs for legendary buildings: the memorial museum of Taras Shevchenko, the “Rolit” Writers' House, the Poltava Zemstvo building, the People's House in Lokhvytsia and the Hrushevskyi family house.
• A film artist who worked on the visual design of Oleksandr Dovzhenko's cult films “Earth” and “Zvenyhora”, as well as those of other outstanding directors.
• An educator: it was he who initiated the creation of the Ukrainian Architectural Institute, where he taught from 1922, and from 1930 to 1936 he passed on his experience to students of the Kyiv Institute of Engineering and Construction (today's KNUCA).

As Mykola Tomenko notes in his post, such initiatives are vitally necessary for bringing up a new generation of Ukrainians. Summing up the story of the master's legacy returning to the walls of his own university, he urges everyone to remember the main thing:

“We remember our history! We study our national culture! We honour our heroes!”

Source: Znaj.ua