Askold‘s Tomb (Askoldova Mohyla)

     As legend says, in the year 882 prince Oleg from Novgorod (a city in Russia) berthed to the Kyiv Dnipro bank. After that, he managed to kill Kyiv kings Askold and Dir in the nearby wood on the Dnipro banks. Therefore, Oleg took the Kyiv throne. When he had done so, following the legend, he announced: “Kyiv will become the mother for all Russian (meaning the ones of the Rus) cities”. Oleg has recovered himself in the eyes of the descendants by having united all the local tribes with the center in Kyiv. He also has strengthened the reputation of the royal power. However, probably the most valuable thing he has reached was the victory against Constantinople (today – Istanbul).

   The same legend also mentioned the place where Askold was buried – in the Hungarian forest on the Dnipro banks. In the year 1810 on the place, where before used to be a wooden church, was erected a new stone church-rotunda which was later turned into a park pavilion. As times passed, there appeared a cemetery.

   Picturesque, legendary place kept on attracting the attention of both Kyiv resident and its guests. Shevchenko reproduced Askold tomb in one of his numerous works of paint art. Writer Zagors’ky wrote a novel “Askold Tomb” which later became the basis of Verestovs’ky’s opera. Bestuzhev-Ryumin used to visit this place regularly.

    Plenty of well-known people were buried on this cemetery. For instance, Solovtsov (also known for his theatre), the maker of the first in the world “dead loop” Nesterov, professor of Medicine Mering etc.

    The graveyard existed until 1935. The buries were generally destroyed or removed to other graveyards.