Why We Chose name "Novу Zodchу"?

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During many meetings with potential clients for the construction of commercial objects, representing myself as the founder and head of the construction company "Novу Zodchу," I encountered misunderstanding regarding the interpretation of the word zodchy.

Very often, my interlocutors were surprised: in their usual understanding, zodchy means architects. So why does a company that performs construction work call itself "Novу Zodchу"? This common mistake, along with the desire to open the sources of forming our corporate culture, prompted me to write this article.

At the beginning of planning our business – in the distant year 2003 – together with my sons Mykola and Oleksiy, we brainstormed various name options for our first commercial enterprise in the new market of construction activity in Kyiv. First and foremost, guided by the winged expression: "as you name the ship, so it will sail," we believed that the name should be inspiring, memorable, unique, and reflect the type of activity – construction.

After considering numerous options, we settled on the name of our brainchild – "Novу Zodchу." The explanation for this choice was as follows:

Firstly, "Novy" reveals the company's inclination towards innovation, emphasizing novelty, the use of new technologies, new approaches, etc.;
Secondly, "Zodchy" – association with the traditions of construction (zodchestvo), laid down in the Middle Ages, but still relevant today, as well as monuments of architecture inspiring creativity;
Thirdly, "Zodchy" in plural form – an effective team of managers, engineers, craftsmen, creative and competent people. Without experience in construction, we believed that a zodchi is not just a profession but a calling.

Hoping that entrepreneurial enthusiasm and a fresh perspective on construction activities will help us realize our idea – creating a competitive company, it was decided that the enterprise would be universal, with a comprehensive approach, offering a wide range of works and services.

This was our first – optimistic, somewhat romantic – vision of our new business.

However, opponents require more substantial arguments. Turning to sources, we present data from our etymological research.

Academics Sobolevsky A.I., Fortunatov F.F. believe that the word zodchy entered the Russian language during the period of the second South Slavic influence, at the end of the 14th – beginning of the 15th century. According to them, this word, in their opinion, is related to the words
Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary provides synonyms for the word zodchy – architect, builder, artist.
The meaning of the word zodchy according to Yefremov: builder, architect.
Small Academic Dictionary: zodchy – builder, architect.

It is quite likely that the modern understanding of the word zodchy transformed due to the desire of well-known political figures of the Soviet period to title the best architects, "who embody the party's policy in architectural masterpieces of socialist culture."

As a result, we see that in everyday life, zodchy, as well as related words creation and building, are mistakenly associated only with architectural activities, and zodchestvo as construction is quite rarely connected.

In conclusion of this brief article, a question to skeptics: can Leonardo da Vinci be unequivocally classified as an architect or a guild builder? It is well known that he was a painter, sculptor, designer, mechanic, inventor – a talented individual in many fields of activity.

What do you think?

Respectfully,
S.G. Chigasov,
Co-owner, one of the leaders
of the universal construction group "Novу Zodchу"

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