Postcard “Monument on Symon Petliura’s Grave at Montparnasse Cemetery in Paris”

The postcard documents the appearance of the family burial site of Chief Ataman of the Ukrainian People’s Republic Army Symon Petliura, his wife Olha, and their daughter Lesia at Montparnasse Cemetery in Paris. The monument over the grave was erected by the Ukrainian diaspora in 1954.

The front of the postcard features the monument, a restrained and monumental tombstone made of dark polished marble. The composition is crowned by a stone cross. Beneath it, a large Ukrainian Tryzub is carved into the stone slab. The marble bears the names and dates of life of the three members of the family. The inscriptions are in Ukrainian and French. Fresh flowers or commemorative wreaths can be seen at the foot of the monument.

The monument was designed by the renowned European sculptor of Ukrainian origin Hryhorii Kruk.

The monument is depicted against a background of dense greenery, trees, and neighbouring tombs and burial structures.

The reverse bears explanatory text in Ukrainian and French, printed in the upper left corner or along the vertical dividing line, as well as standard postal markings.

The postcard was issued by the Ukrainian diaspora in 1966. During this period, Ukrainian émigré communities, particularly in the United States, Canada, and Europe, organised commemorative activities devoted to figures and events associated with the Ukrainian Revolution of 1917–1921. Such publications formed part of efforts within the diaspora to preserve historical memory of the Ukrainian national movement and the Ukrainian People’s Republic.

Provenance: Donated to the museum by V. Mykhalchuk, director of the Symon Petliura Ukrainian Library in Paris, in 1994.