UA
Monument to Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky
Full name of the monument :

Monument to Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky

Region :
Kyiv region
Address of the monument :
Kyiv, Sophia Square
Status :
National significance
Monument installation year (s) (if available) :
1888
Time classification according to the installation epoch :
Imperial period from XVIIІ centuries to 1918
Artist(s) :
The authorship is shared by two professors: Mikhail Maksimovich and Nikolai Kostomarov.
architect Vladimir Nikolaev (pedestal)
Person/event, object the monument is dedicated to :
real person(s)
Gender :
male
Nationality :
Ukrainian
Social status :
management elite
Components of the monument :
Perfectly adapted to a circular view, the sculpture is marked by the variety and beauty of its contours, careful elaboration of numerous details, which are clearly visible thanks to the low pedestal, which resembles a steppe mound in its shape. The silhouette of the horse, the curve of its legs and the head tilted back are extremely expressive. The folds of the rider's clothes are interpreted expressively, which enhances the complex light and shadow gradation of the entire composition.
Material :
mixed materials
Type of art composition :
one-figure composition
Artistic approach :
figurative art
Main text, additional text (if available) :
Yes
Language(s) of the text :
Ukrainian
Narrative commemorates :
Ukrainian statehood from the IX to the XVIII centuries
The preservation state of the monument at the time of the research :
exists
Institution responsible for maintenance :
Kyiv City Council
Institution’s website :
https://kmr.gov.ua/
Free text that contains data valid for interpretation :
The monument to Bohdan Khmelnytskyi was unveiled on 11 (23) July 1888 on St. Sophia Square as part of the celebration of the 900th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus.The idea to create the monument was initiated by the public at the initiative of historian and Kyiv University professor Mykola Kostomarov in the 1840s.In 1870, fundraising began by nationwide subscription. Due to the fact that the amount raised was small (only 37 thousand rubles), and also due to the doubts of Governor General Oleksandr Dondukov-Korsakov about the appropriateness of an anti-Polish and anti-Semitic monument, the committee decided to cut the project's budget, leaving only the central figure of the hetman and the Jesuit. In 1877, a plaster model was completed. On May 3, 1878, Alexander II inspected the plaster originals and ordered the Jesuit figure to be removed. One of the patrons of the construction was Ukrainian businessman and philanthropist Pavlo Kharytonenko.