Everything that was written about in this essay has never been known in the public space. For many years, Sergiy Tsyupko did not tell anything about this wonderful act of a true philanthropist and a person who made a huge contribution to the spiritual unity of the two world Holy Places of Orthodoxy – Jerusalem and Kyiv. But it’s time to collect stones. Sergiy Viktorovych will soon celebrate his 60th anniversary. His contribution to the spiritual Bridge that protects our Ukraine and Kyiv s will live for centuries.
Sergiy Viktorovych Tsyupko was awarded the two highest awards of the Jerusalem Patriarchate for his benevolence. He is the only Ukrainian who received those awards.
The ancient capital of Rus has a special connection with this religious center of the world. Already at the beginning of the 17th century, long before the capture of Kyiv by the Moscow tsars, the monks of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra called it the Second Heavenly Jerusalem. Kyiv is a powerful spiritual and geopolitical center of the Eastern Slavs . But in addition to the spiritual connection there is also a physical connection between the two cities. During the thousand-year history of Ukraine-Rus, thousands of pilgrims, politicians and ordinary residents of our country visited the Holy Places. All of them returned to their motherland filled with a divine spirit and a feeling of joy and happiness from a direct encounter with the greatest relics of the Christian World. Calvary, the Stone of the Unction, Bethlehem, the place of descent of the Holy Fire and many other shrines remain forever in the hearts of people who visited these places. Almost all of them returned home with various small material particles of the divine spirit in the form of icons, crosses and other objects of religious worship. These things are kept in families and passed on to descendants as an important spiritual heritage.
But in our Kyiv history, there are individuals who, on the contrary, like kings and lords, merchants and politicians, made their own, very significant and visible material contribution to the World Shrine. The first to do this was our Great Hetman Ivan Mazepa, a man with a very hard fate and unbreakable will, who went through the transformation from being a traitor of Russia to a true patriot of Ukraine, the creator and builder of both our temples and large churches in the Holy Land. His contribution to the construction of cathedrals and churches of the highest quality is estimated at millions of dollars in today’s terms. His life path ended, but his spirit will remain forever in our people’s memory. And the ritual objects presented by him will carry his energy to the divine light during worships and prayers, connecting the Holy Places with the Heavenly Jerusalem of Kyiv by an invisible bridge.
But the work of Ivan Mazepa was continued and developed by a man who lives in our historical time. His contribution to the development of spiritual and material ties with Jerusalem is no less than that of the Great Hetman.
Sergiy Viktorovych Tsyupko is the name of a worthy successor of the traditions of the charitable mission, the Ukrainian contribution to the spiritual and material parts of Christendom’s Great Shrines. The owner of the Kyiv Jewelry Factory – a historical Ukrainian enterprise that traces its history from the famous Marshak’s workshops, didn’t lose the high quality mark of his predecessor and created unique products that were included forever in the decoration of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Basilica of the Nativity, the Dormitory Church and other Shrines. Objects of religious worship created by Kyiv masters, being next to the Stone of the Unction, Calvary and Star of Bethlehem, become an integral part of this immortal energy of God and sources of Light, connecting Jerusalem with its heavenly brother Kyiv.
The history of the appearance of Lampions in the Christian Church comes from the secret prayers of early Christians, banished both by Jews and Romans into catacombs and caves, where primitive oil lamps gave them l ight in both the literal and spiritual sense of the word. In those times the concept of the Unquenchable Lampion appeared, in which the fire is always supported, sometimes in an incomprehensible way to our mind. Such lampions are located above the most honorable, holiest places in cathedrals and temples. They are made of precious metals with exquisite decoration and according to strict canons. Sergiy Tsyupko and his craftsmen created real masterpieces of jewelry art that adorn and shine divine light in the heart of Christendom. They are located directly above the birthplace of Jesus in the Basilica of the Nativity, in Kuvuklia (place of descent of the Holy Fire), above the Stone of the Unction and Assumption of the Holy Virgin. Jewelers all over the world would consider it a great honor to have their products in these places. This was achieved by the team of the Kyiv Jewelry Factory led by its owner. Wonderful jewelry from Ukraine will give its unquenchable light to millions of people who want to touch the eternal sanctuaries of our existence for many centuries.
But this is not the end of our story about human kindness and breadth of soul in the best traditions of Ukrainian patrons from Hetman Mazepa to the Tereshchenko and Khanenko families. All of them donated huge cultural values to museums and churches, built temples, schools, and helped the poor and the miserables, free of charge, following the call of the soul.
The history of the appearance of Lampions in the Christian Church comes from the secret prayers of early Christians, banished both by Jews and Romans into catacombs and caves, where primitive oil lamps gave them light in both the literal and spiritual sense of the word. In those times the concept of the Unquenchable Lampion appeared, in which the fire is always supported, sometimes in an incomprehensible way to our mind. Such lampions are located above the most honorable, holiest places in cathedrals and temples. They are made of precious metals with exquisite decoration and according to strict canons. Sergiy Tsyupko and his craftsmen created real masterpieces of jewelry art that adorn and shine divine light in the heart of Christendom. They are located directly above the birthplace of Jesus in the Basilica of the Nativity, in Kuvuklia (place of descent of the Holy Fire), above the Stone of the Unction and Assumption of the Holy Virgin. Jewelers all over the world would consider it a great honor to have their products in these places. This was achieved by the team of the Kyiv Jewelry Factory led by its owner. Wonderful jewelry from Ukraine will give its unquenchable light to millions of people who want to touch the eternal sanctuaries of our existence for many centuries.
But this is not the end of our story about human kindness and breadth of soul in the best traditions of Ukrainian patrons from Hetman Mazepa to the Tereshchenko and Khanenko families. All of them donated huge cultural values to museums and churches, built temples, schools, and helped the poor and the miserables, free of charge, following the call of the soul.
Everything that was written about in this essay has never been known in the public space. For many years, Sergiy Tsyupko did not tell anything about this wonderful act of a true philanthropist and a person who made a huge contribution to the spiritual unity of the two world Holy Places of Orthodoxy – Jerusalem and Kyiv. But it’s time to collect stones. Sergiy Viktorovych will soon celebrate his 60th anniversary. His contribution to the spiritual Bridge that protects our Ukraine and Kyiv s will live for centuries.
Sergiy Viktorovych Tsyupko was awarded the two highest awards of the Jerusalem Patriarchate for his benevolence. He is the only Ukrainian who received tho se awards.