President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko visited the National University of Ostroh Academy on October 27. He unveiled the first stage of the newly built Ostroh Academy building in the center of Ostroh and the triumphal arch celebrating the Ostroh Bible, and took part in celebrations of the University’s 440th anniversary.
“I feel particularly inspired when visiting Ostroh Academy. Some time ago, a team of enthusiasts gathered here who believed in the revival of Ostroh Academy. Today, Ostroh Academy is not only a symbol from the history of Ukraine, but a working university that is known worldwide. This academy is a locomotive of our renewed European Ukraine’s forward movement. Its legacy and the spirit of the princes of Ostroh which is invisibly present here form Ukrainian patriotism. I think that a future president of Ukraine sits in this hall today, educated according to the precepts of lofty spirituality, morality, patriotism, professionalism, and integrity. After all, the graduates of Ostroh Academy are exactly like that,” Poroshenko said in his congratulatory speech.
Let us recall that this year the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine passed a resolution requiring national celebrations on the occasion of the 440th anniversary of the oldest university in Ukraine and Eastern Europe, known as Ostroh Slavonic-Greek-Latin Academy at the time of its foundation.
The new building of Ostroh Academy in the central square of the city, which was unveiled by Poroshenko, combines the architectural features of the 16th century and the present. This architectural style is unprecedented for Ukraine. Therefore, without a doubt, this masterpiece will become a gem of the city and an attraction for tourists. The first stage of the building will house offices of professors who conduct joint research with graduate students and undergraduates as well as research laboratories.
RECTOR IHOR PASICHNYK SHOWS TO THE PRESIDENT AND HEAD OF THE RIVNE OBLAST STATE ADMINISTRATION OLEKSII MULIARENKO THE DESIGN OF THE ACADEMY’S NEW BUILDING, WHICH HAD ITS FIRST STAGE UNVEILED ON OCTOBER 27
Also, Ostroh Academy has resolved to revive the tradition of building triumphal arches. Such an arch was erected to mark the 440th anniversary of Ostroh Academy at the entrance to the university. It celebrates a sacred book, namely the Ostroh Bible of 1581. The monumental structure is shaped as the title page of the Bible, while the side steles of the arch feature portraits of people who created our first printed Bible, carved by famous artist Yurii Nikitin. According to Rector of Ostroh Academy Ihor Pasichnyk, the architectural composition symbolizes the triumph of morality, spirituality, and intelligence, which are the overarching values for Ostroh Academy.
Let us recall that Ostroh Academy and Den/The Day are linked by long-standing friendship. As Rector Pasichnyk wrote recently in an article for Den (No. 178, October 4), “Naturally, the revival of Ostroh Academy was possible due to help of many people. It was a very difficult process... Certainly, we should remember help offered by Den and Larysa Ivshyna, who did a lot for Ostroh Academy. She attracted many researchers and philanthropists to the process of the academy’s revival. First of all, I mean the couple of Vitalii and Olena Haiduk, who donated, apart from an authentic copy of the Ostroh Bible and a new bus, the funds which allowed us to restore the research library building. This constellation of the friends of the academy definitely includes much-mourned Canadian philanthropist late Erast Huculak, who provided funds for the new building of Ostroh Academy. We would like to offer special thanks to Den’s team for ongoing media support and friendship offered by this most powerful all-Ukrainian intellectual publication. Den has played a significant role in shaping the image of Ostroh Academy not only in Ukraine, but also abroad.”
