The French Ambassador planted an oak tree in honor of Anna Yaroslavna at St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv
An oak tree was officially planted on the grounds of the “Saint Sophia of Kyiv” National Reserve in honor of Anna—the daughter of Kyiv Prince Yaroslav the Wise and the famous Queen of France.
The sapling became the fourth family tree on the “Alley of Kyiv Princesses”—a unique diplomatic and cultural project that honors the Grand Prince’s distinguished daughters, who, through dynastic marriages, became rulers of European states.
The new landmark tree was planted jointly by Gaël Vésier, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to Ukraine, and Nelia Kukovalska, Director General of “Saint Sophia of Kyiv.”
This symbolic event continued a long-standing tradition of honoring the memory of the Kyiv princely family with the participation of foreign diplomatic missions.
Earlier, as part of the same project, ambassadors from European countries had already laid the foundation for the avenue by planting the first trees in honor of other female members of the Rurikid dynasty.
The reserve’s director provided a detailed account of the previous stages of implementing this cultural initiative on the shrine’s grounds.
According to Nelya Kukovalska, the Swedish ambassador had previously planted a tree in honor of Yaroslav’s wife, Ingigerd; the Hungarian ambassador planted one in honor of Anastasia Yaroslavna, who was married off to Hungarian King Andrew I; and the Norwegian ambassador had planted a tree in honor of Elizabeth’s eldest daughter, who married the Norwegian King Harald III the Strict, the founder of Oslo.
Nelya Kukovalska, the reserve’s executive director, also shared ambitious international plans for the future aimed at commemorating the historical figure of the princess abroad.
She noted that she sincerely hopes a monument to Anna Yaroslavna will be erected in the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris, and has already received official confirmation that the monument will indeed be placed there.
During the ceremony, French officials highly praised the Ukrainian princess’s historical role in the development of European diplomacy and culture.
French Ambassador Gaël Vésier called Anna of Kyiv the patroness of the French presence in Ukraine.
“A tree has roots, and we strive to deepen the ties between France and Ukraine. And ultimately, a tree bears fruit—that is precisely what we are working toward as diplomats,” emphasized Ambassador Gaël Vésier.
This was reported by the press service of the national reserve, which highlighted the importance of the event for strengthening Ukraine’s historical ties with Europe.
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