Fedor Trepov’s “patron” projects

The head of the department of the Museum of Kyiv’s History, writer Vitalii Kovalynsky belongs to the kind of historians who have a conviction: not only political ideologies should be the measure of people who lived before, but their useful deeds as well. He was among the first back in the early 1990s to speak in his book Kyiv’s Patrons about the need to reassess the activity and contribution of people in the past in the capital’s history. Kovalynsky told The Day about one of Kyiv’s patrons who prevented the Vydubychi Monastery from destruction — it was owing to him that the favourite street of Ukrainian presidents appeared on the map.

During a CITI TV channel roundtable dedicated to the new project on Kyiv’s unknown heroes, you mentioned General Adjutant Fedor Trepov, who did a lot for the Vydubychi Monastery, one of the oldest monasteries in the city. At the same time, it is hard to find information about this person. Who was Trepov?

“Fedor Trepov’s destiny is strange and interesting at the same time. Historians are not sure when he was born. There are several versions: in 1803, 1809, and 1812. The last version, 1812, is considered the most probable. As for Trepov’s origins, there are also three different versions on the table. One of them assumes that Trepov was born in Saint Petersburg to a family of a high-ranking officer; according to the second one, he was an orphan brought up by a statesman named Sterner, who lived in Warsaw. According to the least likely hypothesis, Trepov was an adulterate son of Emperor Nicholas I. In 1844, Trepov appears for the first time in Kyiv as a captain of a mounted gendarmery regiment, ten years later he became its commander. In 1860 Trepov was appointed chief of the Warsaw police force, and in 1864 — the chief of the police force of the entire Polish Kingdom. He was wounded three times during his service. He was hit with a stone and contused during the uprisings in Warsaw that were a response to the victory of the Russian army at Horokhove. Trepov was treated in Kyiv, where the emperor, who bestowed him with the title of general major, presented him with the gendarmery regiment estate in that part of the city where Bankova Street is currently located and where the Ivan Franko Theater was built. After Trepov recovered he was appointed the chief of Saint Petersburg police force, and in 1873 he became the city’s mayor.”

How come that former chief of Warsaw’s police force and Saint Petersburg mayor, a military man, became the patron of Vydubychi Monastery in Kyiv?

“The Vydubychi Monastery is one of Kyiv’s oldest monasteries, the first record about it is dated 1070. The monastery was founded by the Kyiv Prince Vsevolod Yaro­slavo­vych, the son of Yaroslav the Wise. Only St. Nicholas and Pechersk monasteries are older. In different periods of time, the monastery was assisted and developed by Hetman Danylo Apostol and Starodubychi Colonel Mykhailo Myklashevsky. The latter assisted in the construction of the main church of the monastery, St. George Cathedral, which has been preserved to this day. General Fedor Trepov started to take care of the monastery in 1869. Six years earlier, his wife, Vira nee Lukashevych, was buried on the territory of the monastery. And already during his service in Petersburg, Trepov received a letter from the Vydubychi Monastery archimandrite Arsenii, reminding him that his wife was buried on the territory of the monastery, and asking to start to raise money in support of the monastery that was in decay. Trepov agreed and at the same time expressed his opinion on how the donations should be used, ‘Real piety and patriotic feelings instil in the heart of every Ruthenian the natural desire that the Vydubychi Monastery preserved to the fullest possible extent the traces and remnants of ancient times, and brought closer to the primary image of hermit-life both in its exterior and interior. From this viewpoint, in my opinion, not only should one seek money for adornment of the monastery with gold, silver, and newest painting and architecture works, but conversely, even reject the donations intended specifically for this aim. Instead the maintenance and restoration of the remnants and monuments of ancient architecture, painting, modelling should enjoy all kinds of support, in order that the necessary extentions, as well as additional possessions of the monastery did not break the ancient style and character of the monastery.’ In five years he mana­ged to raise and send over 20,000 rubles in silver to the monastery. A medium-sized church could have been built for that sum.”

Is Vydubychi Monastery the only patron “project” of Fedor Trepov?

“As a mayor of Saint Petersburg, Trepov did a lot for the development of the municipal administration of the northern capital. In 1878 after the attempt upon his life was made by the ‘mother of Russian terrorism’ Vera Zasulich, who made an appointment with him and wounded the mayor with a pistol shot, Trepov resigned and moved to Kyiv for good. He settled in his house in Pechersk and became the parishioner of the Church of the Saviour at Berestove. In 1881, the parishioners of this church decided to build a new church, but nothing came of that, so they finally asked Trepov for help. He responded gladly, donating 1,000 rubles and, according to the newspaper Kievlianin, obliged himself with receiving the donations from other persons. Thus, by the efforts of Trepov and renowned Kyiv patrons, like the sugar-producing entrepreneur brothers Tereshchenko, the merchants Dehteriov and Berner, the count Nirod, the architects Nikolaiev and Shleifer, the governor Hesse and many others, the ­Alek­sandr Nevsky Church was built and sanctified in August 1889 in the place where the monument on the grave of General Vatutin in Mariinsky park now stands. Three months later Trepov died and was buried on the territory of the Vydubychi Monastery. In the late 1860s Trepov did another favor for Kyivans, connected with the estate the emperor granted to him. At the time the connection between the Luteranska Street and Instytutska Street, where the office of the State Bank was located, was bad, and one had to descend to Khreshchatyk or ascend to Shovkovychna Street, and Trepov gave nearly a hectare of his land to build a convenient passage via his estate. This is how Bankova Street emerged, which was initially called Tsarehradska and Trepivska, later Komunistychna and Ordzhonikidze.”

With your story about Fedor Trepov you have broached another painful question of Ukrainian patronship. Your words made it clear that in the 19th century it was a common thing to donate money to the church and community. Unfortunately, today’s situation is different. The country has not yet adopted the law on patronage. In your ­opi­nion, how topical is it to pass this law nowadays?

“Kyiv has always been the craddle of patronage in the Russian empire. Above all, this is due to the fact that here Prince Volodymyr baptized Kyivan Rus’, and Kyiv Cave Mo­nastery is located here, as well as other sacred places of our people, the graves of our saints. All this inspired Kyivans, prompted piety — people were guided by high moral categories. The Lord said, ‘You will know them from their deeds.’ The state, in its turn, created favourable conditions for the spread of charity. There was a special governmental body with the power of a ministry — the Department of Empress Maria’s Institutions — that cared for charity and beneficial causes. The regulations for some state awards, orders and medals, envisaged giving awards for charitable deeds (for example, the one who builds for his own money a hospital for 20 beds and provides its work for a year could receive St. Anna Order), streets were named after patrons (Tereshchenkivska, Dehtia­rivska), they became noblemen and acquired the right to state service. Today Ukraine badly needs the state initiative and support in this sphere. Paradoxically, patronage activity is taxed in our country. Indisputably, this is restraining people.”