In January 1429, an exceptionally important event took place in Lutsk, one that had a significant impact not only on the history of the city but also on the history of many European countries. This event was the Congress of European Monarchs. At that time, key political players — rulers and plenipotentiary envoys from many European countries — came to Vytautas the Great to address urgent political and security issues facing all of Europe.
Lutsk was chosen as the location for the congress for good reason: it was the favorite residence of Vytautas the Great and was considered the second, southern capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which at the time included Ukrainian lands. The city was also conveniently located at a crossroads of major routes. Moreover, it offered all the necessary conditions for comfortable, safe, and successful communication: “for negotiations, for prayers, for generous hospitality.”
The congress was a major geopolitical event of the time, with key topics including the coronation of Vytautas as king, confronting the Ottoman threat, and resolving a range of internal European political issues. The Lutsk Congress became a kind of assembly, a prototype of the European Union.
So, just like then, Lutsk continues to be a delightful discovery for visitors nowadays!
The large-scale historical painting “Congress of European Monarchs in Lutsk” was created by famous Ukrainian battle artist Artur Orlenov in 2016 as part of the nationwide project “Glorious Ukraine”. The canvas captures the ceremonial atmosphere of the Congress of European Monarchs, which took place in Lutsk in January 1429.
Alongside the European monarchs, the painting also features representatives of princely families from Volyn, Podillia, Kyiv, and Sivershchyna, as well as elders from the Halychyna. The painting holds not only artistic value but also historical, educational, and nation-building significance. Its creation was accompanied by consultations with leading historians and regional experts, including Viktor Kovalchuk, Hennadiy Bondarenko, Yurii Mazuryk, and others.
The painting measures 250 × 140 cm. It was officially presented on January 20, 2017, at the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. As part of the traveling exhibition series of the Making of the Ukrainian Nation Museum, the artwork has been exhibited in the Vatican City, London, Kraków, Paris, and Prague. The original painting is housed in the Ukrainian Historical Club in Kyiv, where all of the artist’s major works are on display. This club has operated as a permanent exhibition space since 2011.
A reduced-size copy of the painting was gifted to the Lutsk Historical and Cultural Reserve in honor of the 590th anniversary of the monarchs’ congress. This canvas is now part of an exhibition dedicated to the events of 1429 and is on public display at Lutsk Castle.
