PRINCES POTOTSKY, MASTER HORODETSKY AND THE MAUSOLEUM IN PECHERY
The Potocki Mausoleum Church, Pechera Village, Vinnytsia Region, Ukraine / presspoint.in.ua
Once again, while traveling the roads of my native Ukraine, I unexpectedly found myself in the famous village of Pechera. What is so interesting about it? The village of Pechera is located in the Vinnytsia region, near Nemyriv, on the banks of the Southern Bug River. This land has witnessed many different peoples — Turks, Moldovans, and Greeks.
This settlement is first mentioned in documents from the late 16th century as a village owned by the large landowners, the Zbarazh princes. The name originates from the ancient caves that were located somewhere in the rocky mountain and were used as hiding places for locals during enemy attacks.
This place is rightfully considered one of the most picturesque not only in the region but in all of Ukraine as well.
MOLDAVIAN VOIVODE IN THE TERRITORIES OF LEFT-BANK UKRAINE
During the Ottoman rule in Podillia, by order of the Turkish Sultan, the Moldavian voivode, a Greek from Albania, George Duca, in 1681 was proclaimed the ruler of Right-Bank Ukraine and was required to live within this part of the country. This decree from the Sultan acknowledged the state autonomy of most of Right-Bank Ukraine.
Samiylo Velychko, the Ukrainian Cossack chronicler, in his «Chronicle» writes: «For his administrative residence, in the Bratslav Regiment beyond the Bug River, in the town of Pechera, he ordered a notable house to be built for himself, and in it, he wished to rule both Ukrainian and Moldavian lands».
Duca became famous as a cruel tyrant, yet it was he who laid the foundation for the first park in Pechera — one of the oldest parks in Ukraine — and built the first magnificent palace there. Later, the estate passed to Bohdan Khmelnytsky’s son, Yurii, who moved his residence to Nemyriv.
CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP OF PECHERA VILLAGE
So, the palace once stood in Pechera, but after the expulsion of the Turks from Podillia, it began to slowly decline. However, the stone from the palace was put to use; it was partially used when the foundation for the new wooden Church of the Nativity of the Virgin was built in 1764.
After Khmelnytsky, Pechera was owned successively by the Zaslavski, Vyshnevetsky, and finally, the Potocki princes. In 1842, Pechera and the surrounding lands were purchased by Konstantin Yaroslavovich Potocki, the nephew of Octavia Potocka. Since then, the cozy village on the riverbank has become the main family residence of the large Potocki family. Konstantin Potocki’s son, Count Konstantin Konstantinovich, the last owner of the estate, died in Pechera on July 9, 1909.
A few farm buildings, a luxurious park on the banks of the Southern Bug, and the mausoleum-tomb — that is all that remains from the once wealthy Potocki-Sveykovski estate in Pechera.
THE LOST LUXURIOUS POTOCKI PALACE
Once, in the Potocki family estate, there stood a palace — luxurious with terraces. It was a smaller version of their even more magnificent palace in Tulchyn. The palace was dismantled in the 1920s, and on its foundation, the Regional Rehabilitation Hospital (Sanatorium «Pechera») was built. However, there is still much to admire here.
The original rectangular layout of the park has been almost entirely preserved, a design that came to Ukraine from the fashionable French school of the time, with a magnificent linden alley in four rows. One hundred sixty marble steps led down to the river, an English park was laid out, and a three-arched bridge was built, along with baths and grottos.
Additionally, sculptures decorated the landscape from all sides. The alley stretched from the main gates to the palace. The 250-year-old linden trees still rustle here. Red oaks, black and Australian pines, and other trees also grow.
A FAIRYTALE MASTERPIECE BY ARCHITECT VLADISLAV HORODETSKY
On the opposite side of the park is the Potocki mausoleum. During Soviet times, this was… a cinema. Today, it is the Church of St. Andrew (the remains of the buried, according to one version, were taken to Poland, while other versions suggest they were destroyed during the Soviet era).
Vladyslav Horodetsky, born in the village of Sholudky (12 km from the village of Pechera) in the Nemyriv district of Vinnytsia region, the famous Kyiv architect who created the House with Chimeras in the capital, built a crypt for Konstantin and Yanina Potocki in the village of Pechera in 1904. The Potocki family was one of the most influential dynasties in Ukraine at the time. Horodetsky had long been friends with them and often visited their estates.
The mausoleum in Pechera is a true architectural masterpiece and one of the best works of the renowned artist. An interesting fact: when the construction of the crypt was completed, the architect refused the payment for his work despite the substantial sum offered by Potocki. Knowing that Mr. Vladyslav was an avid hunter, the count gifted Horodetsky a valuable rifle. The architect left it at the Potocki house and promised to visit more often to hunt in the luxurious hunting grounds nearby.
THE MAUSOLEUM AND ITS «HIGHLIGHTS»
Here it is, the Church of St. Andrew. But where is the mausoleum? The Potocki Mausoleum consists of an underground crypt (located in the basement under the apse) and a large chapel, which is shaped like a Latin cross. It was a place for prayers for the souls of the deceased.
Master Horodetsky, during the construction of the church, used both natural and artificial materials: concrete, granite, sandstone, oak, and others. The decorative elements for the cladding were made from cement — a new material at the time that the architect was very fond of.
The floor is paved with Metlakh tiles from the Kharkiv factory of Bergengheim, while the windows were filled with glass blocks from the company «Falconier». These blocks have only survived in the upper semicircular windows. The heavy doors of the church are made of oak.
The building itself is exquisite and beautiful in every detail, and here it is appropriate to quote Michelangelo Buonarroti: «Attention to detail creates perfection, and perfection is no longer a detail».
Above the entrance gate of the church is the Potocki coat of arms. On the base of the building is the architect’s «autograph», with inscriptions in Polish: «Designed by Vladyslav Horodetsky» and «Built by Konstantin and Yanina Potocki, the Potocki couple, 1904».
«SOVIET HANDS»
Before the arrival of Soviet power, the village of Pechera belonged to the noble Potocki-Sveykovski family. And then came December 26, 1917. The Potocki palace was plundered. The looting lasted for two days, during which all the documents and part of the library were burned. Only a portion of the books were managed to be moved to Kraków. The palace itself was dismantled by the Bolsheviks in 1924. The estate left behind the chapel and a neglected park…
A memorial plaque on the estate’s grounds informs that during the fascist occupation from 1941–1944, a death camp «Dead Loop» for the Jewish population was located here…
For over a hundred years, the building has never undergone major repairs. However, the windows were replaced with modern glass. Earlier, the windows had colorful stained glass made of rhombic glass. Some believe they were brought directly from Italy. However, despite the efforts of local craftsmen, they could not replicate the original, as the material was too thin. The heating and ventilation system of the time could not be reproduced, and it remains a mystery.
Today, the local Catholic community uses the chapel as a church. This is the Roman Catholic Church of St. Andrew Bobola, named after the Catholic saint and Jesuit monk.
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