Ukraine’s Renaissance Legacy

When I walk down Andriivskyi Descent in Kyiv toward the Podil district, I pause for a moment to admire the prominent exquisite mural, titled “Renaissance,” by French artist Seth Globepainter and Ukrainian artist Aleksey Kislow. Its message is unmistakably about Ukraine’s renaissance as a nation. In the palm of a young woman’s hand, the future in the guise of a small child. Apparently, the painters were strongly inspired by the architecture featured in the early Renaissance frescoes of Masaccio and Pierro della Francesca. Her body is beautifully intertwined with the image of a town: a Romanesque arch extends into her robe, while her left hand protectively embraces the houses. JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Also striking is the surreal motif of the two Cossack heads, from which buildings rise (might these be architects?). “Don’t mess with this lady,” was one of the thoughts that crossed my mind. Sadly, she does not have the means to protect the Kyivans from the harsh reality of ballistic missiles. Even so, her intense, focused gaze reminded me of the story of a former Latin teacher who joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2022 and reportedly became one of the best snipers – call sign Panoushka – taking out Russian invaders (who had killed her beloved) from up to 1.6 kilometers away. As for the Renaissance: its essence was articulated in 1486 in the “Oratio de Hominis Dignitate” (Oration on the Dignity of Man), the humanist manifesto by the Italian scholar and philosopher Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463–1494). In it, a brilliant young man, barely 23 years old, argued that God, having created the heavenly globes and the earthly world teeming with all manner of animal life, still longed for a creature that could give meaning to His creation, be moved with love at its beauty, and be smitten with awe at its grandeur. Other Topics of Interest UK Ukrainian Church Leader on Faith, Diaspora & 35 Years of Independence Protopresbyter Bohdan Matwijczuk, Dean of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church in the UK, visited Kyiv to discuss diaspora ties. In His heavenly studio, however, there was no archetype left to fashion humankind. Therefore, the Divine Artist decided to grant Adam – ”unlike all other creatures who were defined and restricted within laws” – the privilege “to be the free and proud shaper of your own being, fashion yourself in the form you may prefer”, adding “it will be in your power to descend to the lower, brutish forms of life; you will be able, through your own decision, to rise again to the superior orders whose life is divine.” In short, according to Pico, the dignity of man lay in his self-determination. There are parallels with Ukrainians, who in their “Revolution of Dignity” Maidan uprising, certainly acted in his spirit. Incidentally, Pico was born on Feb. 24 – a date forever marked in the memory of Ukrainians, albeit also one on which they decided en masse to fight for the right to shape their own future. But isn’t it also remarkable that the flag and coat of arms of Pico’s family and birthplace Mirandola feature the same two colors as the Ukrainian flag? Set against a sky-blue background is an inverted V-shape – a gold-colored chevron – which, in heraldry, resembles the rafters of a house and has traditionally symbolized protection, builders or loyal service. Needless to say that such concepts have taken on an unprecedentedly profound significance for Ukrainians. Flag of Pico’s birthplace, Mirandola Take Lacity Ukraine, an Odesa-based charity foundation and media agency, that is helping to defend Ukraine’s independence and appears to be indebted to the Mirandola flag design, as it turned the golden roof rafter into an L for their own logo. Perhaps it is time that Pico was honored with a statue on the Maidan. And if that were to happen, let the mayor of Mirandola unveil the statue. Italian scholar and philosopher Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463–1494). The views expressed in this opinion article are the author’s and not necessarily those of Kyiv Post. Rogier OrmelingRogier Ormeling is a publicist based in the Netherlands who writes about Russia and Ukraine.