A defender and his father erected a monument to Mykola …

A monument to Mykola Arkas has been erected in downtown Mykolaiv, near the Palace of Student Creativity. It is a gift from the soldiers of the “Buzky Gard” combined unit and concerned residents.

This was reported by the Mykolaiv City Council.

The monument was created by soldier Oleksandr Kanibor and his father. They carved the monument from a single block of granite. The creators combined two types of stone finishing. The surface of the figure of Arkas, who is seated in a chair with a book in his hands, was polished, while the lower and rear parts of the sculpture were left as roughly hewn granite. The figure is depicted holding a copy of *The History of Ukraine-Rus*.

Yevhen Polyakov, director of the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, noted that work still lies ahead on landscaping the area, installing necessary elements, and completing the development of a fully functional public space.

The artists began work on the sculpture of Mykola Arkas even before the full-scale invasion. Later, Oleksandr joined the ranks of the Azov Brigade to defend the country, fought in the battles for Mariupol, and was taken prisoner by the enemy. After his captivity, the sculptor, together with his father, finally completed work on the monument.

Mykola Arkaswasan outstanding Ukrainian cultural and educational figure, writer, composer, historian, and ethnographer of Greek descent. He was born, raised, and spent most of his life in Mykolaiv. In 1908, in St. Petersburg, he published the book *History of Ukraine-Rus* at his own expense, with a print run of 7,000 copies. This publication became the first popular science work on the history of Ukraine written in the Ukrainian language and adapted for a wide readership.

In Odesa,there are plans to create a memorial space dedicated to director and theater reformerLes Kurbasat the site of the Vysotsky monument. Itwill be located on French Boulevard near the film studio where he once worked.

Юлія Калабайда

The defender and his father designed the monument to Mykola Arkas

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