ZAPORIRIZHIA – Ukraine’s National Khortytsia Reserve has presented two ancient Cossack ships from the 18th century – an attack “oak” ship and a transport “baidak” vessel. They were raised from the bottom of the Dnipro River and restored with the help of a grant from the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine.
Both ships will become new exhibits of the Zaporizhia ancient maritime museum. The 20-meter long wooden sailing ship of the 18th century was raised by diver archeologists from the Dnipro River in the Zaporizhia basin, and the 10-meter-long transport “baidak” from the 19th century was found at the bottom of the Desna River in Chernihiv region. Archeologists said the vessels fought in the Russian-Turkish war of 1735-1739.
National reserve employees said they were not able to independently restore the sunken vessels because of a lack of state funding, but that the U.S. Embassy’s program for preserving cultural heritage donated $69,000 in 2014 for the work.
The presentation was attended by U.S. Embassy Attache Assistant for Cultural Affairs Mohammed Motiwala.
“The Cossacks were here, in Khortytsia. They lived in freedom. They helped to create one of the first constitutions in Europe. This is a symbol of early Ukrainian independence. And these are the vessels they used to defend their independence,” Motiwala said.
Khortytsia National Reserve Director General Maksym Ostapenko said its employees used new techniques and completed a “big job” conserving and restoring the ancient ships.
“[Former] U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Tefft took a personal interest in the Ukrainian maritime history. The famous American sailor John Paul Jones took part in the naval campaign in the Battle of [Dnipro-Buh] Liman in 1788 along with Zaporizhia Cossacks. These ships are Cossack ships, double-masted, and were part of the Cossack navy. That’s why the [former] U.S. ambassador recommended the project be funded under the U.S. Embassy’s program for cultural heritage,” Ostapenko said.
Employees of Khortytsia Park said a total of five ancient Cossack vessels have been restored.
“The ancient Cossack vessels show Ukraine’s maritime traditions, how Ukraine navigated various rivers, starting with the Dnipro, which for many centuries and even millennia was link the large masses, which formed modern day Ukraine,” Ostapenko.
