Hora: Art and Remembrance

Hora can be discovered through a clear cultural focus: the work of Petro Petrovych Verna, a sculptor born in Hora, and a monument in the village center. Together, they bring two different perspectives into focus: the artistic engagement with Taras Shevchenko and the remembrance of people from the village. For a trip, this offers a concrete way to connect with culture. Families can also use these themes as a starting point for conversation: What does a portrait tell us about a person, and whom does a monument keep in our memory?

Petro Verna: Woodcarving and Sculpture

Petro Petrovych Verna (1877–1966), born in Hora, was a woodcarver and one of the first creators of Ukrainian sculptures dedicated to Taras Shevchenko. Over the course of his artistic life, he created more than 100 artistically accomplished figures, bas-reliefs, and sculptural compositions. These included more than 30 portraits of Shevchenko; Verna also created compositions based on subjects from his works. Thus, alongside the portraits, his work also reflects a sculptural engagement with themes from Shevchenko’s writing.

A figure, bas-relief, portrait, and composition are not the same thing. A figure depicts a form in three dimensions; a bas-relief brings forms forward from a background while remaining connected to that surface. A portrait focuses on a person, while a composition brings elements together into a sculptural whole. These terms make it easier to understand the works mentioned as different forms of sculpture. Those interested in art can thus gain an accessible introduction to Verna’s work as well as learn the artist’s name.

Another cultural facet of Verna’s biography is that he performed for many years with Hora’s village amateur theater group. This involvement adds another form of cultural participation to the picture of the sculptor. His story can therefore be viewed not only through visual art, but also through his participation in village amateur theater.

Remembrance in the Center of Hora

In the center of Hora stands a monument to the villagers who fell in the Second World War and to veterans who died in peacetime. Its dedication places the experience of war alongside remembrance of veterans in peacetime. In this way, the monument has a different focus from Verna’s work: here, the villagers and veterans are at the center, while his work focuses on sculpture and connections to Shevchenko.

This offers a basis for weighing up the destination: if your interest lies in art, Verna’s life story leads from his birthplace to sculpture; if you are interested in remembrance, the monument offers a different focus. Both contribute to Hora’s cultural identity, without needing to be treated as the same subject. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Hora, you can consider this profile alongside your other travel preferences and weigh how important cultural discoveries are to your stay.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Slavutych, Zhukyn, Vysoke, Novosilky, Ukrainka, Peremoha, Bila Tserkva, Hatne.

For the overview of the wider region, see: Kyiv Oblast.