“Tyaginka remained only in our museum”: in Kyiv you can see archeology from the fortress of Tyagina, which was flooded by the Russians

On June 6, the Russian invaders blew up Kakhovska HPP. One of the most valuable archaeological sites that suffered from flooding was the recently researched Tyagin fortress, built in the 14th-15th centuries. The Monument of National Significance is related to the history of Ukraine, Lithuania and the Crimean Khanate. Before the start of the full-scale invasion of the terrorist country, Ukrainian archaeologists, together with Lithuanian volunteers, conducted thorough research of the unique fortress, which is associated with the name of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas.

The structure was part of a large fortification system that stretched from the Dniester in the West to the Dnieper in the East and connected the network of fortresses and customs on the Great Trade Route, contacts between the cultures of European and Asian civilizations.

The expedition was led by an archaeologist Svitlana Bilyaeva. During the excavations in 2021, scientists investigated and museumized unique finds, which today remain almost the only “living” memory of a valuable historical object.

Due to a coincidence, the exhibits discovered in the Tyagin fortress were not only saved, but are also available for viewing at an exhibition in Kyiv.

The exhibition “Tyagin Fortress” is presented at the Museum of Archeology at 15 Bohdan Khmelnytskyi Street.

Correspondent UP. Life visited the museum and talked with the director Larisa Kulakovskaya about valuable finds and the history of the exhibition, thanks to which part of the historical memory was preserved.

The Museum of Archeology is located in the semi-basement of the National Natural History Museum. His building was damaged by an explosion after a Russian rocket fell in Shevchenko Park, autumn 2022.

The rooms of the archaeological museum are located quite low and on the other side of the building – here the glass remained intact, but immediately after the explosion the windows were protected, and the valuable exhibits of the collection were evacuated.

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Now you can get to the museum three times a week. The exhibition “Tyagin Fortress” occupies one hall. Most of the exhibits are in shop windows. On the left is a bright banner with the name of the exposition. After the flooding of the Kherson region, the hall with exhibits not only arouses curiosity, but also moves people.

The Tyagin Fortress exhibition was updated in November 2022, before the day of the liberation of Kherson. Its first variant was opened even before the full-scale invasion. Some of the objects were actually saved, because they were in the Kherson Museum of Local Lore, which was completely looted in 2022.

“The history of our exhibition is, so to speak, specific. It was opened on February 16, 2022. Actually, a week before the start of a large-scale invasion. We took the exhibits at the Kherson Museum of Local History. During the excavation, the materials are handed over at the excavation site and can be taken later when the opportunity arises. We took them by the end of last year. The first exhibition included about 70 exhibits“, says Larisa Kulakovska. She shows the description of the first exhibition.

The Museum of Archeology is exhibiting exhibits from Tyaginka. Photo: Hanna Shtokan

We read about Tyagin: “The fortress is located in a wonderful recreational area of ​​the National Nizhny Dnipro Natural Park and can become a significant tourist attraction not only for Ukrainian, but also for international tourism, especially under the conditions of conservation, restoration and museumization of its objects. This landmark of the history of Lithuania and Ukraine requires the joint efforts of Ukrainian and Lithuanian scientists to study it“.

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It hurts to describe it – now the Tyagin fortress is flooded, as well as a number of other invaluable historical objects. The only “living memory” of her remains almost 70 exhibits, taken from the Kherson region by Svitlana Bilyaeva. Excavations were carried out without state funding. The Lithuanian community, the “Ukraine-Lithuania” society, whose representative office was in Kherson, helped.

Metal parts of weapons are shown at the exhibition. Photo: Hanna Shtokan

“There were several scientific projects with Lithuania to study this monument. When excavations were carried out in Tyagin, many creative young people, artists, designers came there – they organized open days, created installations. This encouraged the community, the average citizen, to visit this event, take part in it, somehow touch it. And at the same time, there was a popularization of the history of Ukraine – interest arose: what is being dug here after all. And someone has already come home, read something about Tyagin – that it is not just a village, but a village with centuries-old tradition and history“, says Kulakovska.

In the Museum of Archeology you can see the results of excavations of Tyagin fortress. Photo: Hanna Shtokan

Svitlana Bilyaeva researched fortresses in Bilhorod-Dnistrovsky, Ochakiv, collaborated with Turkish scientists. Tyagina dedicated several expeditions, the last of which ended in 2021.

“All the exhibits that are there are from her excavations. And even what they did not have time to process and transfer to the museum. Because after excavation, the material needs to be processed – it needs to be washed, cleaned, encrypted, written down as to where it is from. And then draw, photograph, and describe for the report. Svitlana Bilyaeva brought a small part to Kyiv to process it here, and then return it to Kherson. Part of the found objects could not be removed, because in 2021 excavations were still ongoing. There were big plans for 2022“, says Larisa Kulakovska.

The exposition includes elements of ancient dishes. Photo: courtesy of the museum

Today’s iconic exhibition was first “reporting” – after the excavations of Bilyaeva, an exposition was organized.

“We present the results of the work of our employees. And at the end of the year, if there are such opportunities, if there is some interesting material, there is a desire – we do so-called reporting exhibitions. They dug up, and what is it called, from the field – immediately in the showcase to show people, and eventually to their colleagues. Because, of course, after the excavations, these collections can only be seen somewhere in the office. But when it’s all laid out, interpreted at least beforehand, it’s much more interesting and important“, says Kulakovska.

The exhibition aroused the curiosity of Lithuanians. On February 16, 2022, the opening of Tyagin Fortress was attended by the ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania, representatives of the diplomatic and parliamentary corps. The exhibition closed on the 24th. And the dismantling and internal evacuation of the museum collection began.

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“The exhibits from Tyaginka remained with us. And by the end of the year, Kherson was occupied, the museum was looted, part of it was taken away, part of it is unknown where. So these exhibits at least remain whole, intact, and at the first opportunity, as soon as the war is over, they will be returned back“, says Larisa Kulakovska.

In November, the exhibition was opened as part of the project “Archaeology during the war”. It was changed, a number of objects were hidden.

The site was opened on February 16, 2022. Photo: Hanna Shtokan

“Already at that moment Tyaginka was de-occupied. Then the exposition was supplemented with a map with the point where this village is located. Now I can’t calmly react to the news, the second day I can’t calm down. At first Tyaginka was under occupation absolutely there, they bombed, destroyed everything, now it was flooded“, – says Larisa Kulakovska. Tells about exhibits divided into several sections: coins, weapons, household items, construction supplies. Everything looks modern.

The exposition has a unique ancient core. Photo: courtesy of the museum

“This is a fortress that was on a trade route, so there are Polish coins, Turkish, and Lithuanian elements. At the same time, this is a defensive building – so there were remnants of weapons here – we have elements of bombards, crossbow bolts, arrowheads, bullets, cores. And of course, people lived here – they found household items, dishes characteristic of that time“, – says Larisa Kulakovska. He points to the remains of plates with a painting that resembles the work of modern masters.

In a separate display case there is a reconstruction of a bag with cross overlays and a well-preserved mace.

“This bag is purely Lithuanian, characteristic of Lithuania at that time. Nearby is a mace, which is an attribute of Ukrainian hetmans. There are a lot of different things – the whole complex gives an idea of ​​what we had. Because, unfortunately, we don’t always know what happened here, on our lands. And now people are becoming more interested. You know, when such an extreme situation is when they explain to us who we are and what we are“, says the director.

An ancient Lithuanian bag was reconstructed for the exhibition. Photo: courtesy of the museum

We think that the exhibition is the biggest mention of a unique monument.

“We have many exhibits from the Kherson region, sights that were also flooded. But it was in constant exposure. There are also finds in the Museum of the History of Ukraine. But it turned out so that this Tyaginka actually remained only with us“, says Larisa Kulakovska. She invites visitors to the museum. She explains that they work only a few days a week, because the funding is scarce, and some of the employees are at war.

“In general, we have a lot – 15 people from the Institute of Archeology are fighting – both men and women, and in the same “hot” places. In general, I see that a lot of historians in Ukraine went to the front. The museum is now open three days a week. Other times he is dead. When people somehow come here, look at something – even the spirit is different, all this matters“, – says the director. Leads to the door past valuable exhibits.

The fortress has been studied since the beginning of the 20th century.

The stone walls of the Tyagin fortress and the remains of the fortification walls were discovered as early as 1914 by the prominent Kherson archaeologist Goshkevich. Since 2016, the research of the fortress has been carried out by the Southern Medieval Expedition of the Institute of Archeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine under the leadership of Doctor of Historical Sciences, Svitlana Bilyaeva. In 2020, a corner multi-story tower was opened, the walls of which are decorated with a frieze with Seljuk decor. On the first floor, scientists discovered a wooden structure with the remains of a bombard (ancient artillery weapon of the XIV-XV centuries, similar to a cannon – ed.).

Remains of the citadel and stone buildings were found inside the fortress. Fragments of window frames and doors, stones with decor have been preserved inside. Among other finds: a plate with a heraldic sign, a capital of a column with Seljuk decoration. For the first time, an iron mace of the 15th century was found among the Northern Black Sea artifacts.

“The historical and cultural environment of the fortress is within the limits of the syncretic culture characteristic of the South of Ukraine due to the presence of artifacts of other cultures of the Eurasian space: Tatar, Seljuk, Genoese, influences of the late Byzantine stage, Lithuanian, Polish (coins)“, – scientists stated.

You can view the list of monuments that were affected by the flooding of the Kherson region after the Russian occupiers blew up the Kakhovskaya HPP here.