Grigoriy Gelfar, a deputy of the Dnipro City Council, artistic director of the “DGU” Theater (“Dnipro_Pride_of_Ukraine”), and laureate of the Sholom Aleichem State Prize of Ukraine, has made a special gift to the Jewish Community of Dnipro – a bronze sculpture titled “Heroes of Sholom Aleichem,” created by renowned Ukrainian sculptor Garnik Khachatryan. The gift was accepted on behalf of the entire community by the Chief Rabbi of Dnipro and the region, Shmuel Kaminezki.
The small bronze composition depicts one of the scenes from the legendary production “Peace Be Upon Your Home” by the Dnipro Drama and Comedy Theater, based on the works of Sholom Aleichem. Its heroes – Tevye the Dairyman and his wife Golde – are portrayed as Dnipro audiences knew them, in the performances of acclaimed actors Zhan Melnikov and Lyudmila Vershinina, People’s Artists of Ukraine and Honorary Citizens of Dnipro.
This sculpture simultaneously serves as a tribute to the literary legacy of Sholom Aleichem and a homage to two outstanding figures of Dnipro’s theatrical culture. Zhan Melnikov and Lyudmila Vershinina were for many years an inseparable part of the city’s cultural life, and the characters they created – Tevye and Golde – became one of the brightest pages in the history of Dnipro’s stage. About five years ago, the actors passed away almost simultaneously, but as Grigoriy Gelfar emphasized, they “forever remained in their beloved city.”
A special story is also connected to the creation of the bronze composition itself. In March of this year, Grigoriy Gelfar became a laureate of the Sholom Aleichem State Prize of Ukraine, and the award funds were directed toward purchasing the bronze for the future sculpture. The creative work of the renowned sculptor Garnik Khachatryan was his own contribution to bringing this vision to life.
Presenting “Heroes of Sholom Aleichem” to the Jewish Community of Dnipro, Grigoriy Gelfar emphasized the special significance of preserving the memory of those who became part of the city’s history and culture: “Dnipro must remember its great citizens!”
“We accept this wonderful gift from Grigoriy Gelfar with great gratitude – a gift that combines the legacy of the great Jewish writer Sholom Aleichem, the history of our city, and the memory of the outstanding Dnipro artists Zhan Melnikov and Lyudmila Vershinina,” said Rabbi Reuven Kaminezki. “It is especially meaningful to us that Grigoriy Gelfar chose to present this work, created with such love for Dnipro and its people, to the entire Jewish Community of Dnipro. We are sincerely grateful to him for this gift, which has now become part of our united and cohesive Jewish Community of Dnipro.”
