Date of last update of the article: 16.02.2024 at 3:40 p.m | 
Author: Viktor Shatrov
Надсилайте актуальну інформацію та отримуйте більше цільових клієнтів. Ми розмістимо ваш об’єкт у нашому каталозі та покажемо поруч із локаціями, а також у загальному каталозі, це безкоштовно!
Date of last update of the article: 16.02.2024 at 3:40 p.m | Author: Viktor Shatrov
The author of this, as well as all other Uzhgorod mini-sculptures, is Mykhailo Kolodko. It was installed almost 12 years ago on July 20, 2011. It was opened not as a tribute to friendship with the USA, but on the occasion of the so-called Uzhgorod regatta – a kind of competition of homemade watercraft on the Uzh River. The reason for the creation of this cute sculpture was the angry appeal of Ukrrichflot about the inadmissibility of navigation on rivers without their consent. Its creation was initiated by the Department of Tourism of UzhNU and the Information Center.
The official name of the sculpture is the “Ungvar” lighthouse, but people simply call it “Svobodka”. The statue is a mini-lighthouse – a light-emitting diode is built into the torch. So it serves as a kind of symbolic, slightly sarcastic message to Ukrrichflot from the city community.
Content
 Location |
N48°37′17″ E22°17′52″ |
 Opening date |
07/20/2011 |
 Author |
Mykhailo Kolodko |
 Distance from the center of Uzhgorod |
Near |
 Road for |
Car, on foot |
 Stop with a tent |
No |
 Housing nearby |
Uzhgorod |
 Cafes and shops |
Uzhgorod |
Since 2012, the tradition of dressing this mini-sculpture in various outfits depending on the holiday has been established.
Svobodka weighs almost 4 kg and is 30 cm high. So this mini-sculpture can be considered the world’s smallest lighthouse and the world’s smallest Statue of Liberty. This small sculpture is located on the railing of the pedestrian bridge on the side of Petofi Square at the following address: 1 Pravoslavna embankment (GPS: 48.621217, 22.297856).
In his book «Uzhgorod – The World Capital of Mini-Sculptures” by Nadiia Popadiuk tells an interesting legend associated with this mini-sculpture. According to this legend, the favourite daughter of Yaroslav the Wise, Anna, travelling from Kyiv to Hungary to attend the wedding of her younger sister Anastasia to the king of Hungary, saw a shining emerald on the riverbank. She ordered the carriage to stop, approached the stone, raised it above her head like a crown, and the emerald shone red and brown in her hands and, like a torch, illuminated everything around her. A local sculptor who witnessed this magical moment, struck by the girl’s beauty, created a mini-sculpture in her honour. Later, an emerald found on the banks of the Uzh River adorned the crown of the Queen of France, Anna Yaroslavna.
 Start |
From the mini-sculpture “Tivadar Chontwari” |
 Distance on foot (via the Pedestrian Bridge) |
9 m |
 Rise |
Mostly without ups and downs |
Author of the article: Viktor Shatrov
Number of articles: 1100+
Knowledge of languages:: Ukrainian, English
Favourite quote: “Travelling – the only thing that makes you richer“
He was born and lived all his life in Uzhhorod. He graduated with a gold medal from Uzhhorod School No. 1 named after Taras Shevchenko (now Uzhhorod Lyceum named after Taras Shevchenko). He studied at the History Department of UzhNU, graduating with honours in 2009. He worked as a senior researcher at the Transcarpathian Museum of Folk Architecture and Life, a lecturer at the East European Slavic University.
