Ceremony at the Park of Glory-Lit oil lamps at the monument
30th June, 2010
Morning 30th June the President of Sri Lanka visited the Park of Glory and laied a wreath on a Tomb of the Unknown Soldier & Holodomor Memorial in the city of Kiev. The Sri Lankan Leader was welcomed to the Park of Glory by the Mayor of the city of Kiev. The President honored the fallen heroes of the Republic of Ukraine by laying a wreath at the foot of the monument.
Park Slavi, or the Park of Glory, is located on the intersection of Sichnevogo Povstaniya Street, Suvorova Street and Dmitrievsky Slope. The park is dedicated to the memory of those heroes who died defending Kiev and Ukrainian lands.
In 1957 the obelisk of glory was put up in the park to commemorate the feat of arms of Kiev defenders. The 27 meters high granite obelisk was constructed by sculptors Miletskii, Baklanov and Novikov on the Grave of the Unknown Solder to mark the communal burial place of the war victims. The eternal flame on the grave symbolizes that the Slavic people will never forget heroism of the fallen solders. A wide alley leads to the obelisk and creates a solemn impression, which combines grief for the war victims and pride for the people’s heroism. On the sides of the alley there are 34 graves of those who died for their motherland. Among them is the commander of Kiev defense, colonel-general Mikhail Kirponos, national Yugoslavia hero, aviation major-general Andrey Vitruk, first-sergeant Nikiphor Sholudenko and others. Sholudenko was the first one to drive his tank to Kiev center to liberate the city in November, 1943. The heroes’ burial places, the communal Grave of Unknown Solder and the obelisk are the places where thousands of people annually come and bring flowers on the Victory Day, the ninth of May. Behind the obelisk of glory there is a sight area offering a splendid view on the left bank of the Dnepr River, Kievo-Pecherskaya lavra ensemble and old Kiev temples. In the park there are numerous picturesque alleys and paths for nice walking. The historians believe that the place where nowadays the green park Slavi is situated used to be the village Berestovo, where Kiev prince Vladimir, the one who baptized Rus, had a summer residence with 200 concubines.
Park Slavi is a nice place for a family rest: it offers quietness and calmness, pleasant corners, curved paths and historical monuments.
