Page "Ivan Mazepa" Paragraph 18

During an event in Mazepyntsi to mark the 370th birthday ( March 20, 2009 ) of Hetman Mazepa, President Viktor Yushchenko called for the myth about the alleged treason of Mazepa to be dispelled.

According to Yushchenko the hetman wanted to create an independent Ukraine and architecture was thriving in Ukraine over the years of Mazepa's rule, " Ukraine was reviving as the country of European cultural traditions ".

The same day around a hundred people held a protest in Simferopol against the marking of the 370th birthday of Mazepa.

The protesters held posters with slogans as: " Dog Mazepa, damn you and your ideological followers!

", " Eternal shame on the sickly Judas-Ivashka Mazepa and his followers!

" and " Ukraine's future is in alliance with Russia ".

They also held flags of Russia, as well as portraits of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, and Russian Emperor Peter the Great.

In May 2009 the Russian foreign ministry stated in an answer to Ukraine's preparations to mark the 300th anniversary of the battle of Poltava and plans to erect a monument to Mazepa that those were attempts at an " artificial, far-fetched confrontation with Russia.

We would like to remind the leaders of Ukraine that playing games with history, especially with hidden nationalist motives, has never led to any good.