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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
In Bila Tserkva 26 September a new cultural site dedicated to Hryhorii Skovoroda was ceremonially opened. This is a four-meter Skovoroda Fountain made from a 20-ton block of Brazilian granite and bronze. The composition was based on a drawing by the Ukrainian thinker himself.
The sculpture was created and donated to the community by the Denys Paramonov Charitable Foundation.
Present at the opening of the Skovoroda Fountain were Deputy Head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration Zhanna Osypenko, acting mayor of Bila Tserkva Volodymyr Vovkotrub, philanthropist Denys Paramonov, Ukrainian philosopher and theologian Oleksandr Filonenko, and representative of the Bila Tserkva Union of Historians Yevhen Chernetsky, the Foundation’s website says.
How the idea to create the sculpture arose
The initiator of the composition’s creation was the founder of the Denys Paramonov Charitable Foundation. The project was conceived for the 300-anniversary of Hryhorii Skovoroda’s birth, which was celebrated in 2022. However, due to the full-scale invasion, the project’s implementation had to be postponed.
According to Denys Paramonov, work on the fountain began as early as 2021. The sculpture’s design therefore lasted 2 years, and about 2 more years were spent on producing the composition.
The history of this fountain began in 2021. At that time we approached the sculptor, Honored Sculptor of Ukraine, Oleksandr Reva. We spent two years designing the fountain and another two years producing it in Dnipro. In total, this project took 5 years of joint work by the charitable foundation, the sculptor, craftsmen, and the city community. Hryhorii Skovoroda’s work has long resonated in my heart. That is why I consistently and steadily support a number of initiatives related to the name of this outstanding Ukrainian philosopher,
– said Denys Paramonov.
The central part of the composition became the “seed of life.” It symbolizes Skovoroda’s philosophical idea of a source from which grace is available to everyone, regardless of the size of the “vessel,” that is, the person who receives it.
Appearance of the Skovoroda Fountain / Photo from the Denys Paramonov Charitable Foundation website
The Skovoroda Fountain also has a complex engineering solution: the middle part of the “seed” weighs 7,5 tons, and the entire mass is supported at a single point.
In addition, a special diamond cable was used to finish the granite parts – cutting out the seed and the base alone continuously took about 30 hours.
The creation of the composition became part of a separate project
This refers to the “Cultural_Code” project of the Denys Paramonov Charitable Foundation. By donating the composition to the community, the Foundation plans to make it part of Bila Tserkva’s public space and a place associated with Hryhorii Skovoroda’s cultural and philosophical heritage, which will become another tourist magnet.
As Zhanna Osypenko, Deputy Head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration, noted, projects that give people the opportunity to receive positive emotions are especially important in wartime.
“It is extremely pleasant that even in wartime, in such difficult times, there are people who realize things that will enrich and attract. I am confident that this fountain, which has a deep philosophical meaning, will become a decoration of the city. I am confident that there will always be many children and parents here. Thank you, Mr. Denys, for supporting education, culture, and medicine in the city, and for finding the opportunity to implement artistic projects. People need to see beauty; people need positive emotions in these hard times,”
– Osypenko added.
Bila Tserkva residents at the opening of the Skovoroda Fountain / Photo from the Denys Paramonov Charitable Foundation website
Acting mayor of Bila Tserkva Volodymyr Vovkotrub emphasized the importance of the new site for the city.
“I believe that this fountain will truly become a place where, first of all, our children will gather. This place will become a source of refreshment for everyone, where we will receive positive emotions from communicating with one another and watch our children grow. Such sites help us to distract a bit from the reality we live in. I want to thank Mr. Denys Paramonov. Thank you for what you do. I am sure this will not be the last project in our community,”
– Volodymyr Vovkotrub emphasized.
Philosopher Oleksandr Filonenko said it is unique that the fountain, created in the form of a seed, is “planted” right in Bila Tserkva.
“Now all Ukrainian cities are looking for their future. This is not an easy task because we know that not all cities will be the same as they were before the war. Therefore it is very important that the symbol of the new Ukraine as a seed is ‘planted’ precisely in Bila Tserkva. It is also very important that the fountain’s four vessels are us. And the quality of our life depends on what fills us. One vessel is the vessel of thought, the next vessel is the vessel of art, another vessel is the vessel of faith and the fourth is the vessel of will. These are the four types of people Ukraine needs today. If a city is strong, it will surely have people of will, thought, art, feeling and faith,”
– said Oleksandr Filonenko.
You can see the Skovoroda Fountain in the renovated square in the Pishchanyi neighborhood. The area’s landscaping was also implemented with the participation of the Denys Paramonov Charitable Foundation and its partner – the Kyiv Meat Processing Plant.
Children explore the new sculpture / Photo from Denys Paramonov’s charitable website
What is known about the Denys Paramonov Charitable Foundation
The Denys Paramonov Charitable Foundation was founded on 30 July 2020. Since then the Foundation has implemented over 100 projects and programs in the fields of history and culture, science and education, medicine, social protection, spirituality, sports, and human rights.
Under the “HEALTHY” program the Foundation provided medical equipment to more than 800 hospitals. The organization also supports sports development: nearly one thousand children can train in boxing, football, rowing, and dance for free.
In addition, the Foundation has published six books with a total circulation of 5 thousand copies. They were donated free of charge to libraries in Ukraine and abroad.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "В Україні відкрили унікальний Фонтан Сковороди за ініціативи мецената Дениса Парамонова". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: Channel 24.
