Shevchenko Scientific Society sposors archeological excavations in Baturyn

NEW YORK - Ukrainian and Canadian archeologists and historians this year have continued their excavations in the town of Baturyn in central Ukraine, which was the capital of Hetman Ivan Mazepa during his reign in the years 1687-1708.

Since 2001, this project has been funded by the Shevchenko Scientific Society in America (NTSh), the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies (CIUS) and the Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies in Toronto.

For the fourth year in a row, about 70 students and scholars from the universities of Chernihiv, Nizhyn and Luhansk, as well as the National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy participated in the excavations. Dr. Volodymyr Kovalenko (University of Chernihiv) is the expedition leader, while Dr. Volodymyr Mezentsev (University of Toronto) participates as the CIUS research fellow responsible for the Baturyn project. Prof. Martin Dimnik (Pontifical Institute) has overseen the funding and helps publicize the expedition's findings.

The most significant excavations completed by 2004 were those of the remnants of hetman's central palace, as well as of the fragments of the brick foundations of Mazepa's palace in the Baturyn suburb of Honcharivka. A 1744 drawing of the walls of this palace has been preserved at the National Museum in Stockholm, Sweden.

Recently, Dr. Mezentsev traveled to Stockholm, where he also located a number of other historical artifacts and documents of the Mazepa era. Dr. Mezentsev's trip to Sweden was co-sponsored by NTSh from the Natalia Danylchenko Fund.

Also excavated have been the basement walls and foundations of the Kochubei House, the sole surviving architectural monument of 17th century Baturyn. In 2003-04, on the grounds of the fortress and citadel, the expedition uncovered 32 graves of the Mazepa era, 13 of them bearing signs of violent death as victims of the slaughter perpetrated by the Muscovite army in 1708.

The Baturyn researchers plan to continue their archeological investigations and publications of their findings. NTSh places great value on the Baturyn project, which is dedicated primarily to the Mazepa era, a period in Ukrainian history that was distorted and falsified by the Soviet regime.

NTSh has been able to sponsor the Baturyn project thanks to the Anton Sawycky Fund in 2001 and the George Kuziw Fund in 2002-2004.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, November 21, 2004, No. 47, Vol. LXXII

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