First Solomia Krushelnytska Monument appears in Ternopil

The Italians still honor the unsurpassed Ukrainian Solomia Krushelnytska. A bust of opera diva stands next to Caruso’s portrait in the La Scala theater in Milan. The same sculpture decorates the Lviv opera house. And now a glorious full-size bronze Solomia stands in her native Ternopil. Admirers from different parts of Ukraine arrived for the grand opening. Myroslav Skoryk, Solomia’s grand-nephew, People’s artist of Ukraine, professor, Shevchenko National Prize laureate and hero of Ukraine, came from the capital. In due time he was the first to respond to Ternopil charitable foundation Solomia proposition to hold a fund raising concert to build the monument.

From village of Bila, where Solomia’s father Ambrosii Krushelnytsky was a dean of St. Nicholas church, Reverend Mitrat Roman Hrydzhuk, current dean of a church, came to the opening. He was dressed in chasuble, in which Solomia’s father fulfilled liturgies. Reverend Mitrat blessed the monument with holy water that was blessed near the famous singer parents’ grave. The sculpts Volodymyr Stasiuk from Rivne, brothers Sukhorski from Lviv, architect Isabella Tkachuk in collaboration with Ternopil colleagues Danylo Chepil and Anatolii Vodopian had worked on the monument for two years. It is 3.8 meters high and weighs 3.5 tons. Founding technique was used for casting the monument in the Lviv workshops. The Solomia Charitable Foundation, headed by Marta Podkovych, had been working over this project since 2003, though the idea is 20 years old.