The monument created by electrotyping tech in Poltava

Electrotyping is a chemical method for forming metal parts that exactly reproduce a model. The method was invented by Moritz von Jacobi in Russia in 1838, and was immediately adopted for applications in printing and several other fields. Electrotyping produces "an exact facsimile of any object having an irregular surface, whether it be an engraved steel- or copper-plate, a wood-cut, or a form of set-up type, to be used for printing; or a medal, medallion, statue, bust, or even a natural object, for art purposes." In art, several important "bronze" sculptures created in the 19th century are actually electrotyped copper, and not bronze at all; sculptures were executed using electrotyping at least into the 1930s.

As with metal casting and stereotyping, a mold is first formed from the model. Since electrotyping involves wet chemical processes and is done near room temperature, the molding material can be soft. Materials such as wax, natural latex, and ultimately ozokerite were used. The mold's surface is made electrically conducting by coating it very thinly with fine graphite powder or paint. A wire is attached to the conducting surface, and the mold is suspended in an electrolyte solution. When the copper layer on the mold grows to the desired thickness, the electric current is stopped. The mold and its attached electrotype are removed from the solution, and the electrotype and the mold are separated.

First electrotypes of some famous ancient statues were installed in the Catherine Park under Emperor Alexander II. In 1859, twenty six copper electrotypes by Johann Hamburger were brought by the architect Ippolito Monighetti to Tsarkskoye Selo for placement at the Cameron Gallery. They finally found their places around the park instead.

There is one monument in Poltava that also was created by using electrotyping. The monument on the place where Peter I had a rest after the battle of Poltava was created by Johann  Hamburger, one of the best masters of electrotyping in Russian Empire, by drawings made by Professor Charles Bruleau.  The monument was unveiled on June 27th 1849 in Poltava. In the end of 1930s the monument was almost completely disassembled. Bun in 1939 unexpectedly Josef Stalin decided to organize a huge celebration of the 230^th anniversary of the Battle of Poltava. As a result, early 1939 the monument was reconstructed in hurry in its original shape. During the German occupation of Poltava (1941- 1943), all bronze decorations of the monument were taken to Germany for remelting. Only in the early 1950s was this monument reconstructed close to its original form.

US will provide anti-tank weapons to Ukraine, State Dept. official says

December 23, 2017 (CNN) The State Department officially announced Friday evening that the US was going to provide Ukraine with "enhanced defensive capabilities as part of our effort to help Ukraine build its long-term defense capacity, to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to deter further aggression," but the statement from spokeswoman Heather Nauert said it was not going to give any further details. The State Department said the "US assistance is entirely defensive in nature, and as we have always said, Ukraine is a sovereign country and has a right to defend itself."

Members of Congress and the US-backed Ukrainian government had long requested anti-tank weapons to boost Kiev in its fight against Russian-backed separatists. This is another development from the US that Russia is expected to criticize. Some experts told CNN that Russia could use this move as a pretext to take further action in Ukraine, after its invasion and annexation of the Crimea region in 2014. The move comes amid a recent uptick in clashes between Ukrainian soldiers and Russian-backed separatists, and the same week the Trump administration announced it would permit sales of some small arms to Ukraine from US manufacturers. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had discussed the recent escalation in clashes in a phone call Friday with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, according to an official readout issued by the Ukrainian government. The statement says Poroshenko thanked Tillerson for "the prolongation of sanctions against Russia" and for "the consistent support of Washington regarding the increase of Ukraine's defense capacity." The statement also said that "Tillerson emphasized that the US would further support Ukraine." On Wednesday the Trump administration had announced it was allowing the export of some small arms to Ukraine. Nauert said the department notified Congress on December 13 that it had approved an export license, which allows Ukraine to buy certain light weapons and small arms from US manufacturers.

"The US government is not selling the Ukrainian government these weapons," she said. The US has not provided lethal defensive equipment to Ukraine, Nauert said, nor has it ruled out doing so. Following that announcement, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, issued a statement calling on Trump "to authorize additional sales of defensive lethal weapons, including anti-tank munitions," to Ukraine. Anti-tank weapons have long been seen as a critical capability to allow the Ukrainian military to combat the armored vehicles in the possession of the separatists, equipment that US officials say is supplied by Russia. "Vladimir Putin has chosen war instead of peace in Ukraine. So long as he makes this choice, the United States and the Free World should give Ukraine what it needs to fight back," McCain added. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova responded to reports that the US and Canada have decided to allow weapons exports to Ukraine by accusing Washington and Ottawa of making false claims about the conflict in Ukraine as a "pretext to begin large-scale lethal weapons deliveries to Ukraine." Zakharova went on to say arming Ukraine would further inflame tensions and push Ukraine "towards reckless new military decisions." Nauert had also addressed the conflict in Ukraine on Tuesday, saying, "Russia and its proxies are the source of violence in eastern Ukraine, and the Russian government continues to perpetuate an active conflict and humanitarian crisis through its leadership and supply of military forces on the ground." Nauert said the US continued to call on Russia to withdraw its forces and weaponry from Ukraine.

STATEMENT BY SASC CHAIRMAN JOHN McCAIN ON TRUMP ADMINISTRATION APPROVING THE SALE OF LETHAL DEFENSIVE WEAPONS TO UKRAINE

December 22, 2017 (www.mccain.senate.gov) U.S. Senator John McCain, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement today on reports that the Trump administration has approved the sale of lethal defensive weapons to Ukraine:

“I welcome reports that the Trump administration has approved the sale of lethal defensive weapons to Ukraine. This decision is years overdue, but nonetheless, it comes at a pivotal moment. Ukrainians are enduring some of the worst fighting in several months as Russia has withdrawn its officers from a key ceasefire implementation mechanism and Russian-led forces have escalated their attacks in eastern Ukraine. At every turn, Vladimir Putin has chosen war instead of peace in Ukraine. So long as he makes this choice, the United States and the Free World should give Ukraine what it needs to fight back.

That is why the reported decision to authorize the sale of sniper rifles and ammunition must only be a first step. I urge the President to authorize additional sales of defensive lethal weapons, including anti-tank munitions, and to fully utilize security assistance funds provided by the Congress to enable Ukraine to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. I also urge the President and congressional leadership to ensure that any budget deal fully supports the $350 million in security assistance for Ukraine authorized by the National Defense Authorization Act signed into law this month.”

Ukraine accuses government interpreter of spying for Russia

December 22, 2017 (BBC News Europe) Ukraine's main security agency has arrested a senior government translator and accused him of being a Russian spy. Stanislav Yezhov, who accompanied the country's prime minister on numerous trips, was detained in Kiev on Wednesday. The Security Service of Ukraine [SBU] said Mr Yezhov had gathered information about government activities. In July, he was part of a delegation that visited UK Prime Minister Theresa May in Downing Street.

Stanislav Yezhov (centre) pictured between Ukraine's Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman and UK Prime Minister Theresa May

A statement posted on the SBU website [in Ukrainian] said: "Law enforcers found that an official was recruited by Russian intelligence agencies during a long-time foreign mission." They said Mr Yezhov, who is facing charges of treason, used "special equipment" to gather information which he then passed on to his Russian handlers.

Ukraine's Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman posted about the arrest on his Facebook page. He said Mr Yezhov was "an official in the government's secretariat who was working in the interests of the enemy state [Russia] for a long time". He worked in the cabinet of ministers where he would have had access to sensitive government information. Prior to this, he served as a translator for Ukraine's former president Viktor Yanukovych.

White House on approval of U.S. arms export licenses to Ukraine: "Nothing new" – media

December 21, 2017 (UNIAN) The U.S. State Department has approved an export license for Ukraine to buy certain light weapons and small arms from U.S. manufacturers, spokeswoman Heather Nauert said on Wednesday, according to Reuters. "Under the previous two administrations, the U.S. government has approved export licenses to Ukraine, so this is nothing new," Nauert said, Reuters said. Department records show Ukraine has bought small amounts of those types of weapons for several years, both before and after the 2014 Russian annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula. The department notified Congress of the decision on December 13, Nauert said, adding that the U.S. government was not selling the weapons directly to the Kyiv government but was allowing Ukraine to buy from U.S. manufacturers. Nauert said the U.S. government had not directly provided lethal defensive equipment to Ukraine, nor had it ruled out doing so. U.S. exporters can apply for direct commercial sales licenses at any time and those are reviewed by the State Department on a case-by-case basis, she said. Read also Canada determines Ukraine as appropriate destination for inclusion on firearms control list The license covers weapons in categories such as semi-automatic and automatic firearms up to, and including, .50 caliber weapons. It also includes combat shotguns, silencers, military scopes, and flash suppressors, as well as parts. 

According to The Washington Post, administration officials confirmed that the State Department this month approved a commercial license authorizing the export of Model M107A1 Sniper Systems, ammunition, and associated parts and accessories to Ukraine, a sale valued at $41.5 million. "There has been no approval to export the heavier weapons the Ukrainian government is asking for, such as Javelin antitank missiles," The Washington Post wrote.
Read more on UNIAN:

https://www.unian.info/politics/2310176-white-house-on-approval-of-us-arms-export-licenses-to-ukraine-nothing-new-media.html