Hi!
Happy Easter to you! Here, we will celebrate it on May 5. Yeah, there is still such a big difference in time.
Yesterday, I had a big day (a day off from social media). How was it? Good. I walked a lot (it seems too much, as I fell asleep earlier than usual). I will show you some pictures I took. Yesterday, my son complimented me on how my photos improve daily. It is good that I have made some progress, but there is still much work.
If you ever make it to Kyiv someday, please visit a Landscape Alley (near Andriivskyi Descent and Andriivska Chruch). Local artists sell their paintings there. This photo and some others were taken in this alley yesterday.
Let's start this letter with some news from here.
I have heard about russia's upcoming new offensive for some time already. And this week, I came across two publications about it: an interview with CBS, where our President mentioned that russia was preparing a new offensive in May or June; The Economist also wrote about a coming offensive in the summer.
What are my thoughts about it? I am not a war expert; I am just an ordinary person living in this war. I read and try to be prepared for everything.
Son asked me someday:
- Do you think we will win?
Me: Do you remember the Oscars? While we were watching the ceremony, I was 100% sure that '20 days in Mariupol' would win. It won. So, my thoughts about Ukraine's victory in this war are the same. I am 100% sure that we will win.
A picture is coming.
Of course, russia has been attacking Ukraine these days. I will specify just some of the attacks with links where you can read more (I put the links inside the text).
Monday
A series of explosions rocked Kyiv in the morning on March 25 as russia launched yet another missile attack on Ukraine's capital. The debris from an intercepted missile damaged the building of the Kyiv State Academy of Decorative and Applied Arts and the academy's gym and concert hall were destroyed.
Wednesday
russian forces attacked Kharkiv, hitting a residential area, killing one civilian man and injuring at least 19 other people, including four children.
On the same day, a ballistic missile struck the city of Mykolaiv. Twelve people were wounded.
Thursday
A university in Kherson was hit. There are huge holes in the facade of the University building.
Friday
russians launched a large-scale missile and drone attack on Ukrainian critical infrastructure. Thermal and hydroelectric power plants in the central and western oblasts have been damaged. In total, russia attacked Ukraine with 99 air targets, including 60 drones and 39 missiles of different types. Eighty-four of them were downed by the Air Force.
Sunday
Ukrainian Air Force shot down nine cruise missiles and nine drones. russians targeted our critical infrastructure again.
A picture? I know that these pictures might not suit the information I provide. I see them as a break from the words and images they create.
It is the photo I loved the most from yesterday.
I would like to end our news section now. Perhaps that was everything I wanted to tell you about the war. Let's jump into a historical part (yes, in this letter, I will take you on a journey to the past). I promised to tell you about the Rozumovskyi family.
I am having a warcoffee now. Changing the place of writing is good for inspiration sometimes. It is such a sunny and warm day. It seems that we skipped spring. Summer is outside.
Okay, the Rozumovskyi family. I will tell you their story (after the photo from yesterday).
On May 5, 1747, the russian empress Elizabeth I issued a decree establishing a hetman (political title assigned to military commanders) in Ukraine. This decision was a surprise, as the last hetman, Danylo Apostol, had died almost 13 years earlier.
Why was there a decree restoring the Hetmanate in Ukraine?
On Christmas Day 1731, russian Colonel Fyodor Vyshnevskyi, on his way back from Hungary, went to a church for a festive service and was struck by the magical voice of a young singer. That church was in the village of Chemer. There, a 22-year-old man named Oleksiy Rozum sang in the choir. Vyshnevskyi invited the young man to go to St. Petersburg, and he agreed to sing in the choir there. The tall, handsome man won the heart of the future Empress Elizabeth.
It is the portrait of this young man, later known as Oleksiy Rozumovskyi
Oleksiy supported Elizabeth in the 1741 coup, for which the empress generously rewarded his family.
It is known that in 1742, Elizabeth and Oleksiy secretly married, but he never became an emperor. This was no longer just the family of the impoverished Cossack Rozum but the noble Rozumovskyi family. Count titles were given to Oleksiy's mother and brother Kyrylo, who was 19 years younger than his brother.
The daughter of Peter the Great, who had forbidden the election of a new hetman, overturned this prohibition. When Elizabeth signed the decree in 1747, the new hetman's candidacy was already determined. It was Oleksiy's younger brother Kyrylo Rozumovskyi. He served as a Ukrainian hetman for 14 years until another russian empress, Catherine II, prohibited Hetmanate in Ukraine again and eliminated the Zaporizhian Sich (where the cossacks lived).
The portrait of Kyrylo Rozumovskyi
The Rozumovsky family has survived, retained the title, and cooperates with Ukrainian historians. Gregor Rozumovskyi is a direct descendant of Kyrylo Rozumovskyi through his son, Kyrylo, who left the russian empire for the Austrian Empire in the 19th century. They are now Counts Rozumovskyi von Wigstein. Gregor Rozumovskyi lives in Germany.
What remains of the Rozumovskyi family in Ukraine?
- Baturyn Palace (Hetman Kyrylo Rozumvskyi lived there);
- A church in the village of Lemesh (Oleksiy Rozumovskyi was born in this village);
- A church in the village of Kozelets (Oleksiy's mother moved into the village later after becoming a countess);
- Remnants of the family estate in Yahotyn (it belonged to the Rozumovskyi family until the revolution in 1917).
Vienna (Austria) has a Rozumovskyi Gasse (Rozumovskyi Lane) with a neoclassical palace. In 1814, it burned down, but the building was partially preserved. Now, it does not belong to the Rozumovskyi family.
It is a Palace in Baturyn (I've never been there, but I plan to visit it this year if I can; it is approximately 220 km from Kyiv).
Did you like the story? In my letters, I try to show Ukraine as I see it: with wounds caused by war, a rich culture, a long history, and a fantastic nature. Please feel free to share the letter with the people you want. I will happily bring my dear girl (Ukraine) to as many people as possible.
Thank you for reading my words. They are sending you a gentle bow.
Lady with a pen (and a camera)