На матеріалах особового фонду Олени Апанович, які раніше не були в науковому обігу, розкривається діяльність відомої дослідниці козацтва по збереженню могили кошового Запорізької Січі Івана Сірка.
This article is based on yet unpublished materials, inter alia from a personal fund of Olena Apanovych, it
shows famous cossaks researcher’s activities on preservation of the grave of Zaporizhs’ka Sich otaman Ivan
Sirko. Also, the documents from fund of Ukrainian Association of Historical and Cultural Memorials Preservation
which are stored in Central State Archive of Highest Authorities and Management of Ukraine were found
and analysed. The objective of the article is to show work and vision of O. Apanovych on the preservation of a
famous figure of Ukrainian history. The article found that O. Apanovych were researching otaman’s grave in
1950th and later in 1960th while developing the Khortycya Reserve. She returned to preservation activities
later at the end of 1980th to the beginning of 1990th while the expedition “Zaporizhs’ka Sich: destroyed and
survived”. In 1960th Olena Apanovych had had an idea to move all Zaporizhs’ka Sich atamans’ graves to
Khortycya where she was planning to create a national pantheon.
At that time the idea was not realised. Later, while the “Reconstruction” she actualised the problem of
Ivan Sirko’s grave preservation. This article in general analyses the influence of Olena Apanovych and her
like-minded followers’ efforts towards the actualisation of preservation and popularisation of cossacks’ monuments.
The article discovered that this work had very important social consequences for instance these activities
had a significant impact on Ukrainian society in particular regarding rising of a national self-consciousness
and preservation of national memory.