THE ZAKREVSKYS’ PYRAMID: Egypt in the Heart of Ukraine

Tell me, where is the «Egyptian» pyramid in Ukraine? One of the three similar structures in Europe (the second is in Rome, the third is in the village of Komendantivka in the Poltava region) is located just 155 kilometers from Kyiv, in Berezova Rudka. And it is not just a pyramid; it is a chapel.

Berezhova Rudka is an ordinary village in the Pyriatyn district of the Poltava region. It was founded in 1717 by Hetman of Ukraine Ivan Skoropadsky.

In 1752, the Zakrevsky family (specifically, Yosyp Lukyanovych Zakrevsky, General Bunchuk-Bearer of the Zaporizhian Host) purchased the village from the hetman’s descendants and made it their family estate. Yosyp’s wife, Hanna, was the sister of the last Hetman of Ukraine, Kyrylo Rozumovsky…

NEST

Five generations of the Zakrevsky family transformed and expanded the estate, turning it into a gem of 18th–19th-century landscape and park architecture. They lived in Berezova Rudka for almost 165 years — until the 1917 revolution.

The family included many notable figures: writers, lawyers, ethnographers, historians, and artists. For example, Mykola Vasylovych Zakrevsky (1808–1871), at the age of 28, published two books — Chronicle of the City of Kyiv and Sketch of the History of the City of Kyiv (Revel, 1836). These works were illustrated with his drawings of Kyiv’s historic buildings, some of which have survived to this day.

Hryhoriy, the son of Yosyp Lukyanovych Zakrevsky, had the idea to create the estate complex. Hryhoriy held the position of Marshal of the Kyiv Governorship, which included 11 districts. A beautiful estate was essential for hosting noble assemblies.

His sons Oleksiy and Vasyl continued developing the park, which his grandson Platon completed. Platon’s son, Hnat, oversaw the estate’s decor. Hnat was a very serious man — he rose to positions such as Justice of the Peace in St. Petersburg, Chief Prosecutor of the Senate, and Ambassador of the Russian Empire to Egypt.

During the ownership of Platon and his wife Anna, the estate often hosted visits from Taras Shevchenko. The poet met Anna Zakrevska at a reception at the Volkhovsky estate in Moisivka (now a village in the Cherkasy region)… and fell in love.

It was at the Zakrevsky estate that Yevhen Hrebinka created his masterpiece — the song Black Eyes, familiar to all Ukrainians. In October 1921, poet Dmytro Lutsenko, author of the unofficial anthem of Kyiv, How Can I Not Love You, My Kyiv, was born in the village of Berezova Rudka.

INTRIGUE

The Zakrevsky family also had a fascinating woman — Hnat’s daughter, Maria (nicknamed Mura). She was rumored to be an agent for three different global intelligence agencies and a true enchantress of men’s hearts.

Independent, intelligent, and extraordinary, she had not only two official husbands (Ivan Benkendorf and Baron Budberg) but also numerous famous lovers, including British spy Robert Lockhart and writers Maxim Gorky and H.G. Wells.

This Poltava woman managed to secure a position as Maxim Gorky’s secretary, won his favor, gradually edged his wife out of his life, and eventually inherited a quarter of his estate through his will after his death. The second writer, British author H.G. Wells, left her the majority of his inheritance, depriving his children.

THE PALACE

But let’s talk about the park. The two-story classical palace, built at the beginning of the 19th century, was destroyed by fire. In 1838, a new two-story palace in the neo-baroque style, designed by architect Yevhen Chervynsky, was constructed.

Its southern facade faces the ceremonial courtyard and consists of three sections: a central one with a broken pediment, a simple entrance, and a viewing terrace on the second floor, as well as side sections — risalits with bay windows (glazed projections resembling lanterns). There is also a viewing terrace with a decorative arched roof.

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The palace’s park facade is significantly more ornate. The two-tiered central section features an arcade on pilasters, an enclosed gallery, and open loggias with columns and pilasters. Along the base of the second-floor gallery runs an intricate wrought-iron balcony.

In the interior of the vestibule on the southern facade, grand wooden stairs lead to the ballroom on the second floor. The staircase railing consists of profiled balusters and large spindles adorned with wooden carvings in the shape of open flower petals.

EGYPT OF THEIR OWN

Returning to the pyramid… Hnat Zakrevsky commissioned it in 1899 as a chapel over the family crypt of his ancestors. It was constructed according to the principles of Egyptian pyramids: the four faces align with the cardinal directions, and it includes both above-ground and underground sections.

The base measures 7 meters in length, and its height is approximately 10 meters. The entrance is located on the southern side. The structure was built from dressed granite and local brick. Above the door, the pyramid was adorned with the family coat of arms and a cross.

A decorative wrought-iron fence surrounded the pyramid, with a sculpture of an angel nearby. Inside, there were frescoes, paintings, and a statue of the protective goddess Isis (dating back to the 2nd millennium BCE).

While serving in Egypt as a diplomat, Hnat Platonovych passed away in 1906. His embalmed body was transported by his daughter to his native village of Berezova Rudka and buried in the pyramid alongside his parents.

DESPITE EVERYTHING

In 1917, the Bolsheviks committed acts of sheer vandalism. The remains of the deceased were removed from their zinc coffins and discarded into a ditch near the cemetery. They stripped the frescoes and took away the statue of the goddess. After World War II, the pyramid was repurposed as a storage facility for a dairy plant because its burial chambers provided excellent preservation conditions for products.

In the 1980s, even «wiser» individuals decided to build a cultural center, but the pyramid didn’t fit the architectural ensemble of the village. They attempted to demolish it — but failed. Bulldozers began breaking down due to the pyramid’s excellent construction.

Interestingly, a descendant of the Zakrevsky family is Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom’s coalition government (2010–2015), Lord President of the Privy Council, and leader of the Liberal Democrat Party.

Zakrevsky descendants have occasionally contributed funds for the restoration of the family estate. In 2009, €12,000 was sent from Luxembourg for roof repairs.

The history of the Zakrevsky family continues to live on — in the pyramid, the magnificent park and palace, and in the efforts of those who strive to preserve this legacy. Let’s not forget…

Photo from the author’s archive

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