Monument to Catherine the Great in the village of Kaynardzha

Overview

A 3-meter monument to the Russian Empress Catherine the Great is located in the Ruse village of Kaynardzha. The monument is an Orthodox cross with "Jesus Christ" written on both sides. On the left is the coat of arms of Russia from the time of Catherine the Great, and her image is in the center. A commemorative medal from 1762 was used as a model. The Empress is represented as Minerva - the goddess of wisdom and war in the name of a noble cause. Under the image of the Russian ruler is depicted a waving flag, which shows the map of Bulgaria. The monument is made of Vratsa stone. Next to it there is a separate inscription that reads "God with us." There is an identical inscription on the swords of the Russian soldiers who took part in the Russo-Turkish war. The composition is the work of the Ruse artist Dilyan Hubanov. The monument in the village of Kaynardzha is part of a program to mark the 235th anniversary of the signing in 1774 of the Kyuchukkainardzhan Peace Treaty between Russia and Turkey. Then ended the 6-year war between the two empires, known as Catherine's First War. For us, the Bulgarians, this treaty is important in that it pays attention to the interests of the Christian peoples under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. The original of the Kyuchukkaynardzhan Treaty is kept in the Central State Military History Archive in Moscow. The first publication of the document in Bulgarian was made in 1938 - 1939 by Prof. Georgi Genov.