Samson Fountain in Podil: Kyiv's Legendary Sacred Spring

Legend has it that a sacred spring once flowed on the spot where the Samson Fountain stands. It was believed that the fate of Kyiv depended on this spring: as long as it existed, the city would stand. Historians offer a less romantic version. They say that the site of the Samson Fountain was once occupied by a reservoir that collected water from the springs of two hills, Castle Hill (Zamkova Hora) and St. Andrew's Hill.

The reservoir dates back to the times of Kyivan Rus. Water flowed into it through wooden pipes, and the residents of Podil used it for their daily needs. When it became fashionable in Europe to decorate main squares with fountains and wells adorned with sculptures, Kyiv residents also "ennobled" their reservoir with a small fountain. It was covered with a pavilion, and inside stood a wooden figure of an angel holding a bowl from which water flowed. On top of the pavilion was another angel figure that turned in the wind. This pavilion was known as the "felitsial."

The first statue of Samson tearing open a lion's jaws appeared here in 1749. It was created, together with a new pavilion, to a design by the architect Ivan Hryhorovych-Barskyi. At the same time, water began to flow into the reservoir through a new conduit. This was Kyiv's very first water supply system.

The fountain, christened "Samson," immediately became part of the city's image. Kyiv residents assured visitors that anyone who drank its water would stay in the city forever. They also told a legend: Samson the Strong, son of King David, was once sailing down the Dnipro. When he landed on the shore, he suddenly saw a lion. Without a second thought, the hero seized the beast by its jaws and pinned it down with his foot. At that very moment both turned to stone and remained in Kyiv forever.

On feast days the clergy blessed the water in the fountain, and the columns of the rotunda were decorated with tree branches. People hung baptismal crosses around the biblical hero's neck so that he would protect the city from misfortune. Later, a sundial made by Brulon, a Frenchman who taught at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, was installed on the pavilion's roof. But in 1811 a huge fire swept through Podil, and the sundial burned along with the pavilion. The pavilion was soon rebuilt, but without the sundial.

In 1934 the much-loved fountain was suddenly dismantled, reportedly because of a misunderstanding. Before some holiday, a local official was inspecting Podil. Seeing a pile of rubbish next to the Samson Fountain, he angrily shouted "Get rid of it!" and waved his hand toward the pavilion with the statue. His confused subordinates rushed to carry out the order without asking what exactly was to be removed. And so Podil lost its famous fountain.

Samson got a second life half a century later. On the eve of the celebration of Kyiv's 1,500th anniversary in 1982, the fountain was recreated from a surviving copy of the statue, which is held by the National Art Museum of Ukraine. As before, the pavilion with the sculpture is called a fountain. The spot became a popular place for taking photos and arranging dates.