Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine Oleksandr Tkachenko said that Snake Island, which has become one of the symbols of opposition to the Russian invasion, has a cultural significance besides military. The Minister wrote about this in his Telegram.

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“The “cultural layer of Snake Island” is included in the State Register of Immovable Monuments of Ukraine as an archeological monument of national importance and an object of cultural heritage, which is a product of a lost civilization,” Tkachenko said..

The island played an important role in the history and religious ideas of the Greek colonies of the Northern Black Sea region as the location of the temple dedicated to the cult of Achilles, the patron saint of sailors and the Black Sea..

The cultural layer of the island with the finds of antique items and coins, as one of the forms of sacrifices to the gods, is a landmark of archeology and a source of information about the past and humanity in general.. Serpentine was repeatedly mentioned in ancient sources.

Note that the ancient Greeks believed that Achilles himself, the hero of the Trojan War, was buried on the island, so it was sometimes also called Achilles Island.. It is believed that in the temple, erected in honor of the hero, there was his 20-meter statue.. According to legend, the golden shield of Achilles weighing 15 kilograms was immured in it.. Archaeologists have not yet found this artifact. The ancient Greek name of the island is Levka, that is, the white rock..

Recall that on June 30, as a result of the actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the troops of the Russian invaders left their positions on Zmeiny Island. According to American experts from the Institute for the Study of War, the release of Zmeinoye will not lift the naval blockade, but will reduce the military pressure of the Russian Federation on the coast..

The Russian invaders tried to destroy their own equipment, weapons and property on Zmeiny Island, from which they took their garrisons on the last day of June. But they failed.