Uzhhorod through the eyes of an artist: Ignatiy Roshkovych and his city

If you are looking for things to see in Uzhgorod, locals will definitely advise you to take a walk along the Theater Square and the Independence Embankment. It is there, near the pedestrian bridge, that one of the most famous and beloved sculptures of Uzhgorod is located - a bronze figure of the outstanding artist Ignatiy Roshkovych.

The master froze at his easel, staring intently at the Uzh River, and has been painting the same cityscape for many years.

Who is Ignatiy Roshkovych

Ignatiy Roshkovych was born in 1854 in the village of Slavkivtsi, which is now located in Slovakia. When the boy was three years old, his family moved to Uzhgorod. It was here that his acquaintance with art began.

Roshkovych's first artistic abilities were noticed while studying in Uzhgorod. Later, he continued his education in Budapest, studied in Munich, worked in various art centers in Europe, and spent a significant part of his life in Budapest.

Roškovich worked in various directions. He created portraits and genre paintings, was engaged in graphics, and became especially famous thanks to monumental and church painting, which still adorns the temples of Budapest and Uzhgorod today. Among the works related to Transcarpathia are church murals, iconostases, and individual paintings. His works are also kept in the Transcarpathian Regional Art Museum.

Roškovich and Uzhgorod

For modern Uzhgorod, Roškovich is interesting not only for his paintings. His name is literally inscribed in the city space.

In 2012, a monument to the artist was erected on the Independence Embankment, next to the pedestrian bridge. Uzhgorod sculptor Mykhailo Kolodko decided to immortalize the artist at work on the banks of the Uzh River, where the artist once caught his inspiration. The bronze Roshkovych stands at an easel and works on the cityscape.

But the most interesting thing is to look not only at the artist himself, but also at his canvas. It depicts the Uzh River and the bridge as they looked during Roshkovych's time. Therefore, standing next to the sculpture, you can literally compare Uzhgorod today with Uzhgorod, which the artist saw more than a hundred years ago. This is the peculiarity of the monument. It is not just a bronze figure of a famous person, but a small meeting of two eras - the city of the past and the city of the present.

When classic meets pop art

Usually, Roškovich stands alone near the pedestrian bridge. And for years, passers-by have been watching the calm work of the bronze artist.

Until the creative team of Emigrand Art Hotel in Uzhhorod intervened in this story. We decided to experiment in the style of Salvador Dali or Andy Warhol himself and created a unique art collage.

And then one day Marilyn Monroe joined him. Not a real one, of course, but the same pop art heroine who has long become part of the art history of the 20th century.

In our frame, she ended up next to Roškovich and this meeting looks unexpectedly organic. On the one hand, an artist of the academic school who worked with painting, graphics and sacred art, and on the other - Marilyn, whose image Andy Warhol turned into one of the most famous symbols of pop art.

Different eras, different artistic languages, different histories, but one Uzhhorod are combined here.

When art goes beyond the museum

It is this meeting that well explains the idea of ​​the Emigrand Art Hotel. This unique frame is not just a fantasy, but part of the visual DNA of our hotel.

Roshkovych stayed near Uzh with his easel, and Marilyn continued her Uzhhorod story already at the Emigrand Hotel. The cult actress and pop art icon Marilyn Monroe officially settled in the Emigrand Art Hotel. The photo of this amazing meeting decorates our interior, adding to it a special glossy charm and rebellious spirit.

For our guests, this photo is a great reason to smile, appreciate artistic humor and find inspiration for their own travels. After all, art in Emigrand is not boring museum exhibits under glass, but a living, bright space where classics and modernity have an exciting dialogue.

Planning a vacation in Uzhhorod? Come to our hotel, visit the bronze Roshkovych on the embankment, look at the painting on his easel. And maybe you will notice something that usually passes by attention.

Because the most interesting thing in Uzhhorod is not only its sights, but the opportunity to see the same city through the eyes of people who lived here before us, and those who fill it with new stories today.