Bohdan Khmelnytsky Monument

The monuments of the capital city of Ukraine are something that never ceases to amaze its visitors. With such a wide choice, tourists sometimes can’t select which one to visit and possibly take a picture of. Each of those monuments carries some piece of Ukrainian history and this one that we are going to talk about is Bohdan Khmelnytsky Monument from 1888.

This fantastic sculpture represents one of the oldest monuments in the entire city. Today, it represents the symbol of Kyiv and one of the most significant landmarks of Sophia Square. Located in the heart of this former main square of the city, the monument attracts thousands of tourists annually. 

This fantastic piece of history was constructed by the architect V. Nikolaev and a sculptor M.Mikeshin. Their original plan was to include some smaller sculptures, according to their primary vision. However, the lack of resources stopped them from the implementation of their beautiful plan therefore they decided to stick with the largest sculpture only. Namely, something that characterizes this fantastic monument is its pedestal that is made from the remains of the granite boulders of the famous “Chain Bridge”.

Long History Of The Monument

At the time this monument was built, Kyiv was one of the most significant cities of the Russian Empire. A man by whom it gained it’s name was a Cossack who formed a rebellion against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. After this, this man was recognized as the countries’ hero and also a founder of Ukraine. Hence, he definitely deserved the monument to be built for his achievements.

The monument was built when citizens were celebrating the 900th anniversary of the baptism of Saint Vladimir the Great who was formerly known as Prince Vladimir Sviatoslavich.

A lot of tourists perhaps don’t know that the original site of this monument should have been in a different location than today. It was originally imagined to adorn the place of Bessarabian Square which is the reason why the nearby square carried the name of Bohdan Khmelnytsky from 1869 to 1881. Unfortunately, the construction of the monument had to be postponed due to the Crimean War.

Nowadays, tourists enjoy the sightings from this square, especially during some holidays like Christmas. As long as this period lasts, the monument represents the main market in the city.