“How separatists ruined Kyivan Rus’,” “How Constantinople became Istanbul: the collapse of a millennium-old empire,” “The institute of Cossackhood: Turkic and Ukrainian,” “On janissary without myths and stereotypes,” “Situation of woman in the Crimean Khanate” – these are the titles of only several articles from the book Return to Tsarhorod. Presentation of the new album from the Den’s Library Series evoked interest of broad public and expert circle in Chernihiv. The new book was presented by one of the compilers and the author of a considerable number of articles, the editor of the newspaper’s “History and I” section Ihor Siundiukov.
“I want to bow low before the residents of Chernihiv and pay my respect to your city,” Ihor Siundiukov started his greeting word. “Hopefully, you understand the mission performed by Chernihiv. In the history of Ukraine namely your city and land were the advanced post of Ukrainians against the aggression from the north. On our way here we thought that if we continue the vector Kyiv-Chernihiv, further in the north the land of the aggressor will start, so you are the front line. Only the nation that knows its origin, identity, and the meaning of its existence on our land, the message of the past generations to us and our descendants will win in political, moreover, military bouts.”
The guest paid attention of the people present that Return to Tsarhorod is a logical continuation of the cause carried out by Den’s team for many years. “This is reconstruction, restoration, defense of our national identity, proving by facts that our nation was born not 24 years ago. For example, Chernihiv is over 1,300 years old. Unfortunately, people don’t know their history. The understanding of their root, origins, identical, national, and spiritual essence is often too weak, or totally absent, and that is why we have made this book,” Siundiukov explained the stand of Den’s creative team.
According to him, the millennium-long history of Ukraine cannot be understood unless we understand the closest ties of Kyivan Rus’ and Byzantine Empire. These ties are very unequivocal, they cannot be presented in black and white colors. “Orthodox Christianity came namely from Byzantium to us. Namely through Byzantium the art of building cathedrals, icons, frescos, manuscripts came to us. We turned out to be good learners, we were not the learners with an inferiority complex who would bow before the Byzantines,” Siundiukov noticed.
Like we should look for the roots of our Christian world outlook and culture in Byzantium, in the Ottoman Empire we should look for the origins of the Cossack movement, many dramas and tragedies, and at the same time – victories and achievements. Therefore, a thoughtful studying of the abovementioned topics gives to the readers the keys to understanding of many events that are unfolding before our eyes. And to understanding of our real place in Europe and the world. All the people present at the launch in Chernihiv would probably agree with this conclusion. At least such thoughts were expressed in commentaries and discussion that took place at Chernihiv Center for Re-Qualification and Improving of skills of the personnel.
Further we give the word to the experts.
Andrii TSARENOK, associate professor of the department of philosophy and culture sciences of Chernihiv-based Taras Shevchenko National Pedagogical University, Ph.D. in Philosophical Sciences:
“Byzantium existed for 1,200 years, and this empire was quite heterogeneous. In spite of certain eclectics, this book adds many things to our perception of Byzantium and Ukraine. Historians have such a rule: if the people don’t have their state, we write the history of people, like Hrushevsky did. And what was taking place on the territory of the state is the history of this state. And when we say that the Crimean Tatars are Ukrainians too, this is true as well. And it’s very good that the newspaper Den is making steps in this direction. It is carrying out a very important cause!”
Volodymyr LYCHKOVAKH, Doctor of Philosophy, professor of Academy of Leading Personnel of the Workers of Culture and Arts:
“Return to Tsarhorod is a way to our sources, a way to Europe and European values. The book helps to understand the origins of the cultural process of today, the dialog of cultures which started from the relations between Kyivan Rus’ and Byzantium. May our life be spend under the ‘signature of Sophia,’ about which so ardently and sincerely Serhii Krymsky spoke, and which is embodied in the Athos tradition in Ukraine, which is more than 1,000 years long. Now modern Ukrainians remain practically the only nation that has been able to bring the Byzantine traditions to the present day in a consistent and uninterrupted way.
“The collection reveals the traditions of the Ukrainian existence, world perception, and identity of Ukrainians, Eastern Christianity, draws prospects of Ukrainian history, speaks about going back to Tsarhorod as a renewal of moral-ethical basis of Ukrainian society. I am thankful to the authors and compilers for many-colored depiction of Ukrainian story and culture.”
Viktor MOLOCHKO, representative of the Charitable Foundation in Support of the Newspaper Den’s Initiatives in Chernihiv oblast:
“Building a state is above all educating its citizens, so that they had a strong spirit and take responsibility for their actions and words. Namely this is the mission fulfilled by the team of the newspaper Den. One wise woman in Ukraine said that ‘You should take care of people, like about a city.’ Today’s presentation of the book Return to Tsarhorod is a bright example of this. The search of the truth is a hard thing, but when people learn it, they become free. Our salvation is in moral-spiritual renaissance. Return to Tsarhorod shapes the connection of modern Ukrainians with their ancestors that we need today. Larysa Ivshyna in her wise preface speaks about creation of a spiritual space in Ukraine, and this is impossible without moral-ethical revolution of our people. In this process a huge role is given for the factor of church and religion. I, as a person, who has worked in the sphere of state-church and interchurch relations, took a special interest in the materials dedicated to the Christianization of Kyivan Rus’, the role and the mission of the church in the history of Ukraine, Russia, Byzantium, and the model of relations between the state and the church.
“Generally, the collection not only informs us, but also sets the task of reconsidering many events, phenomena, reconstructing them based on the primary sources, demands not observation, but active action: because God blesses not our wishes, but our actions. There should be a moral-spiritual and world outlook revolution of our people, it is impossible without such books. And it is impossible to solve the problem of Ukraine’s sovereignty without solving the problem of the church.”
“For me the second chapter of the book was the most interesting. I think it is a very good sign that we are refusing from the stereotype that the history of Ukraine is a history of only Ukrainians. And the articles the book contains show this wonderfully. After all, the current political situation proves that the Crimean Tatars are great patriots of Ukraine.
“The authors of the book focused on the political relations in the triangle ‘Cossacks – Tatars – Turks,’ but they left beyond attention the important aspect of the border relations, which is the cultural influence. And the influence was considerable. Even the most famous picture of Cossack Mamai looks more like a person from the East, than a Ukrainian. This is probably a topic for a separate book.
“I will also state that in the intellectual milieu of Rzeczpospolita of the 16th-17th centuries and Hetmanshchyna Turks were not only criticized and accused of all possible sins, but also saw them as an example of military discipline, the just state organization. And though such beliefs were far from reality, it is important that they did exist.
“So, with caution, but we can say that Tatars and Turks were not only enemies, but, in a sense, our friends. And the book Return to Tsarhorod demonstrates this.”
Oleksandr KUKHARUK, senior teacher of the department of social economics and marketing of the Chernihiv National Technological University, Ph.D. in History:
“Why return, not discovery, or appeal to? Probably, the last part is closer to the content of the collection. At the same time, a positive feature of the book is that it has many colors and many levels. It contains historiosophic, scientific, popular scientific articles. As a rule, professional collections are criticized for this, but the given publication only wins from this. Namely this form makes the book interesting not only for a narrow circle of experts (sometimes they joke: the problems that is widely known in narrow circles), but for a wider circle of readers as well. Everyone finds here texts s/he likes. At the same time, versatility may lead to lack of fastidiousness. In particular, I, like the compilers, have a question: to which of Tsarhorods we want to return? Constantinople or a later one, Istanbul? The answer seems to be clear, but at the same time every reader makes conclusions of their own.”
Volodymyr BOIKO, director of the Chernihiv Center for Re-Qualification and Improving of skills of the personnel, Ph. D. in History:
“Byzantium is not only what used to exist. It continues to live around us, in the streets of old Chernihiv, in its residents. How we assess its influence is another question. It is unequivocal, but I am speaking about a different thing. We are still its culture-mental part. Look please at this connection. For the first time Chernihiv was mentioned in the text of an agreement with Constantinople, so it became famous thanks to it. The Cathedral of the Savior, which of all church buildings of Ancient Rus’ most of all resembles the Byzantine churches, was built and preserved in our city. You can enter it and literally touch that heritage. The coat of arms of Chernihiv region bears a two-headed eagle. Those who see it think first about Russia. But on the Desna Bank it appeared almost half a millennium ago – of course from that Tsarhorod spring. So, the book Return to Tsarhorod reminds us who we are and where we come from, and at the same time helps to resist the aggression of the country, which for some reasons considers itself by far the only heir of Byzantium. We think that it has inherited only its bad features, if any.”
