The Egyptian Pyramids in the Poltava Region
If you drive through the Poltava region, you’ll find pyramids in various parts of it that closely resemble those in Egypt.
It’s all because these architecturally stunning structures were built in the style of those very same famous pyramids of the pharaohs.
The History of the Egyptian Pyramids in the Poltava Region
In the early 19th century, it became popular among the intellectual and political elite of the Russian Empire to take an interest in the culture of the Middle East, including a growing interest in Egypt, which Europeans had begun to discover following Napoleon’s conquest of the country. They were particularly interested in Ancient Egypt, its history, and its culture.
People traveled to those lands and brought back many stories and artifacts. In Kyiv, the Ecclesiastical-Archaeological Museum was opened at the Kyiv Theological Academy. Christian relics were brought there.
Some travelers took even more radical steps, such as building actual pyramids—albeit on a smaller scale.
Bilevich’s Pyramid in the Komendantivka village
Officer Alexander Bilevich, who later became the leader of the local nobility, conceived the idea of building a pyramid-shaped church immediately upon his return from Egypt in 1864. This is the first legend.
According to another legend, this pyramid served as a burial place for his wife, Sophia, who died prematurely.
The Bilevich Pyramid in the Poltava region took 13 years to build. It is 15 meters high and 10 meters wide. Legend also has it that during construction, the mortar was mixed with the blood of slaughtered livestock and egg whites to make it stronger. Granite blocks were quarried nearby, processed on-site, and hauled to the construction site using cables. An Orthodox cross stands atop the pyramid.
Indeed, for some time after its construction, the pyramid in Komendantivka served as a church. It was consecrated in 1877, and services began to be held there regularly. The church has three levels. The altar is located on the first level, and there was a bell in the upper chamber.
Bilevich himself and his wife were buried nearby, but their remains disappeared over time. This happened during the Revolution, when the pyramid was used as a warehouse for chemicals.
Bilevich’s Pyramid Today
After lying abandoned for a long time, the Bilevich Pyramid has once again become a church. In 2004, it was restored, reopened, and an extension was added—which is why its appearance differs from the original.
The Bilevich Pyramid-Mausoleum is located in the Komendantivka village, 30 km from Kremenchug.
Zakrevsky’s Pyramid in Berezova Rudka
The Zakrevsky family received the village of Berezova Rudka from the family of Hetman Skoropadsky. The Zakrevskys built their estate there in the 18th century and ran a farm there.
The Berezova Rudka village itself is notable for having inspired Taras Shevchenko. He was even in love with the beautiful Anna Zakrevska but was unable to win her hand.
The Zakrevsky Pyramid was built by diplomat Ignat Zakrevsky after his mission to the Middle East. He grew so fond of the culture of that region that he immediately decided the pyramid would serve as his final resting place.
When the pyramid was completed, it embodied Christian, pagan, and Masonic cultures. Inside were frescoes, various Egyptian-style symbols, and images of Christian saints. The entrance was guarded by a statue of the goddess Isis, brought from Cairo, and an Orthodox cross was placed on the portico above the entrance.
In 1906, Ignrat Zakrevsky set out for Cairo, taking his two daughters with him, intending to marry them off there. During that trip, he died of a heart attack. His daughters brought his body back, embalmed in copper. He was buried in a pyramid beneath the goddess Isis.
In 1917, Zakrevsky’s pyramid was looted; the body was thrown out and disappeared.
The structure was turned into a warehouse for the local dairy plant; later, it housed a diesel generator for the local club; and at one point, it served as a public restroom.
Zakrevsky’s Pyramid Today
The fate of Zakrevsky’s Pyramid differs from that of Bilevich’s Pyramid. It has not been restored; it stands in a state of disrepair, and only a few tourists make their way here.
Zakrevsky’s Pyramid is located in the Berezova Rudka village, Poltava Oblast, 216 km from Poltava.
