>> monument to Bogdan Khmelnytsky

The monument to Bohdan Khmelnitsky is the most famous monument of the city, a kind of symbol of Kyiv. It was installed in honor of Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky, who went down in the history of Ukraine as an outstanding commander and statesman who led the uprising of the Ukrainian people against the rule of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Bogdan Khmelnitsky is also known thanks to the Pereyaslav Rada, which made Muscovy and Ukraine allies.

In the mid-19th century, Ukrainian cultural figures had the idea to erect a monument to Bohdan Khmelnytsky in Kyiv or Pereyaslav. There is no clear answer to the question of who first came up with this idea. The authorship is shared by two professors: Mikhail Maksimovich and Nikolai Kostomarov. The implementation of the plan became possible thanks to Mikhail Yuzefovich, also a professor, who was the head of the Kyiv Archaeographic Commission. The project for the future monument was to be developed by the then very famous painter and sculptor Mikhail Mikeshin.

The first project of the monument to Bohdan Khmelnitsky was completed on a grand scale. On a granite pedestal, shaped like a mound, the hetman sat on a prancing horse. Under the horse's hooves it was intended to depict the prostrate body of a Jesuit priest, covered with a tattered Polish banner, with links of broken chains lying nearby. The figures of a Polish nobleman and a Jewish tenant flew from the cliff, knocked down by a galloping horse. Below, in front of the rock, there were 4 more figures - a blind kobzar and his listeners: a Belarusian, a Little Russian, a Great Russian and a Red Russian. The bas-reliefs were supposed to depict episodes of the Battle of Zbarazh and the Entry of Khmelnitsky’s troops into Kyiv.

Funds for the monument were supposed to be raised through charitable subscriptions, but donations were received poorly. Political motives and lack of funds led to the fact that the composition of the approved monument became much more modest. The trampled Polish banner and anti-Semitic themes were rejected, and at the same time the figures of the kobzar, his listeners, and bas-reliefs disappeared from the monument.

The Maritime Department donated 1,600 pounds (25.6 tons) of old ship copper for the construction of the monument. In 1877, a plaster model was finally made, and in 1879 in St. Petersburg, at the Berd foundry and mechanical plant, with the participation of sculptors Pius Adamovich Velionsky and Artemy Lavrentievich Ober, the composition was cast from metal.

The location for the installation of the monument to Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky was determined after much debate - it was decided that it would be Sophia Square. But suddenly a ban came from St. Petersburg. The fact is that the monument erected on Sofiyskaya (Sofievskaya) Square would be located between the altar wall of the Kyiv Sophia (Sofievsky) Cathedral and the building of St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral. The statue was oriented so that the hetman's mace was directed threateningly towards Poland. Accordingly, it turned out that Bogdan Khmelnitsky’s horse had its tail turned towards the altar wall of the St. Sophia Cathedral, and this is what the numerous pilgrims rushing to the cathedral will see instead of the Christian shrine. In addition, the view of the cathedral from the St. Michael's Monastery and Khreshchatyk was blocked. This caused indignation among the Kyiv clergy, and they wrote a complaint to the Synod. For some time he stood on Bessarabskaya Square.

For eight years, the finished monument to Bohdan Khmelnitsky stood in the courtyard of the Starokievsky police station, since there was not enough money to build a granite pedestal. Kievans joked that the hetman was arrested for “arriving without a passport.” Finally, in 1886, 12,000 rubles were allocated from the city treasury, and the administration of the Kyiv Fortress gave 30 cubic fathoms of granite for the monument, which remained from the construction of the supports of the Chain Bridge, after which the architect Vladimir Nikolaev designed and built a pedestal for the monument. The Kiev architect worked for free, and spent the money he managed to save on installing a fence with lanterns around the monument.

In order not to offend the feelings of believers, the sculptural composition was turned around, after which the mace began to threaten towards Sweden rather than towards Poland. Contrary to popular belief, the mace was never pointed towards Moscow. Only the inscriptions on the pedestal spoke of involvement in Russia: “We want an Eastern, Orthodox Tsar” and “Bogdan Khmelnitsky has a single indivisible Russia.” In 1919 and 1924, these inscriptions were changed to “Bogdan Khmelnytsky. 1888,” which has survived to this day.

On July 11, 1888, during the celebration in Kyiv of the 900th anniversary of the baptism of Rus', the monument to Bohdan Khmelnitsky was finally installed and consecrated.

The monument to Bohdan Khmelnitsky itself makes a strong impression with its dynamism. It was as if the rider, at full gallop, reined in his horse to address the people. The portrait resemblance to the prototype, as well as the details of clothing, are quite accurately conveyed. The pedestal of the sculptural composition is relatively low, in addition, it is accessible for all-round viewing, which makes it possible to examine in detail all the details of the composition, which are worked out very carefully.

As part of the celebration of the 900th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus'. It is one of the symbols of Kyiv, a work of art of the 19th century.

Monument
Monument to Bohdan Khmelnytsky
Monument to Bogdan Khmelnitsky in Kyiv
50°27′12″ n. w. 30°30′59″ E. d. HGIOL
A country
Location	Kyiv
Sculptor	Mikhail Mikeshin
Architect	Vladimir Nikolaev
Date of foundation
Construction
Material	bronze
Monument to Bohdan Khmelnitsky on Wikimedia Commons

Story

The idea of ​​creating a monument arose in society on the initiative of the historian, professor at Kyiv University Nikolai Kostomarov in the 1840s. After receiving permission from the imperial government in 1860, a committee was created headed by Mikhail Yuzefovich, a university professor and head of the Kyiv Archaeographic Commission. The first project of the monument, created by the famous sculptor Mikhail Mikeshin, was very sharp - the horse of Bogdan Khmelnitsky pushed a Polish nobleman, a Jewish tenant and a Jesuit from a cliff, in front of which a Little Russian, a Red Russian, a Belarusian and a Great Russian listened to the song of a blind kobzar. The bas-reliefs of the pedestal depicted the battle of Zbarazh, the Pereyaslav Rada and the scene of the entry of the Cossack army led by Khmelnitsky into Kyiv.

In 1870, fundraising began with an all-Russian subscription. Due to the fact that the amount collected turned out to be small (only 37 thousand rubles), and also because of the doubts of Governor General Alexander Dondukov-Korsakov regarding the appropriateness of an anti-Polish and anti-Jewish monument, the committee decided to reduce the project budget, leaving only the central figure of the hetman. In 1877, a plaster model was ready, and in 1879, a statue was cast at the Berd plant in St. Petersburg (Mikeshin’s metal project was implemented by P. Velionsky and A. Ober), for which the Maritime Department donated 1,600 pounds (25.6 tons) of scrap metal. The portrait features and features of Khmelnitsky's clothing were reproduced with the help of consultation from Vladimir Antonovich.

The following year, the statue was transported to Kyiv, where it stood for several years in the courtyard of the House of Public Places, because there were not enough funds for the pedestal provided for by the project. Only in 1885, Vladimir Nikolaev created a cheaper design for the pedestal and brought it to life. The stones for the pedestal were donated by the administration of the Kyiv Fortress. At the same time, Nikolaev himself worked for free, and in addition, using the money he saved, he also designed a fence with lanterns.

An urban legend says that when the monument had already taken its place, it turned out that the horse was very impolitely turned with its tail towards St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral. Therefore, the pedestal was deployed, and the hetman’s mace, which, according to the plan, was supposed to threaten Poland, turned out to be directed somewhere towards Sweden. But, contrary to another widespread legend, Bogdan never pointed to Moscow. The only reminders of the monument’s Moscow orientation were the slabs with the inscriptions on the pedestal: “We will under the Eastern, Orthodox Tsar” and “To Bogdan Khmelnitsky, a single indivisible Russia.” In 1919 and 1924 they were replaced by “Bogdan Khmelnytsky. 1888". This inscription can still be seen today.

A huge number of monuments and other attractions are concentrated in Kyiv. My absolute favorites are sculptures, because, being a mediocre artist, I always admire them. But I can’t appreciate all contemporary art...

The monument that will be discussed in this article was built in honor of the Cossack hetman Bohdan (Zinovy) Mikhailovich Khmelnytsky - the most popular and beloved hetman of Ukraine. Its clear silhouette against the sky can be seen in the center of Sophia Square. However, I am not sure that the equestrian statue is in harmony with the outlines of St. Sophia Cathedral, which rises nearby. It still seems to me that the cathedral attracts the eye and only up close can one appreciate Mikeshin’s work at its true worth.

In my opinion, this monument is, in fact, the only thing that materially perpetuates the memory of the hetman. There is no grave.

Composition and architectural features

The bronze sculpture of a horseman is installed on a pedestal in the shape of a hill, lined with large granite blocks.

The Hetman of Ukraine is depicted riding a dashing rearing horse. In his right hand, drawn back, B. Khmelnitsky firmly holds a mace, which seems to be pointing to the north. In my opinion, the hetman’s facial features and details of his clothing were reproduced very realistically. The expressive silhouette of a rearing horse, the curves of its legs and neck especially impressed me. In general, a rather dynamic composition.

The monument, designed to be viewed from all sides from close and far, has become a kind of emblem of Kyiv. Without a doubt, among the few equestrian sculptures, this is the most harmonious. Tourists willingly take pictures near the monument.

How to get there

In the city center I always walk or ride a two-wheeler. Which is what I recommend to everyone. But here are other options:

• On your own two feet from the metro. The nearest stations are Zoloti Vorota (you need to walk along Vladimirskaya Street to Sofiyskaya Square) and Independence Square (along Sofiyskaya Street to the end).
• By public transport. From the Maidan Nezavisimosti metro station you need to travel just one stop on the 6, 16 or 18 trolleybus.
• By car. When traveling by this type of transport in the center of Kyiv (on weekdays), take into account two small difficulties: traffic jams and parking problems. On weekends this is easier. There are many paid parking lots on Sofiyskaya Square (one hour will cost 10 hryvnia).

Some interesting facts

• Initially, the pedestal contained words about Russia indivisible, but after the revolution they were replaced. Today you can only see the inscription there: “Bogdan Khmelnytsky. 1888.”
• According to the author's first plan, the statue was to be supplemented with other sculptural details. Bogdan Khmelnitsky's horse pushed a Polish nobleman, a Jewish tenant and a Jesuit from a cliff, in front of which a Little Russian, a Red Russian, a Belarusian and a Great Russian listened to the song of a blind kobzar. This project would be very chauvinistic. This would definitely make it too harsh and very incorrect from a political point of view (besides, the money that had been collected from the world for a long time was sorely lacking). The figures of the hetman's "enemies" and "friends", the bas-reliefs of which were intended by the sculptor, did not become an addition to the central figure due to the same financial considerations. The original version of the monument can be seen in the Museum of City Sculpture of St. Petersburg.
• The Maritime Department donated 25.6 tons of scrap metal for the monument.
• The equestrian statue, cast from copper, was delivered from St. Petersburg. But before the sculpture was installed, it had to lie in the courtyard of the police headquarters for eight years. About this, Kiev residents joked: “Bogdan was arrested before entering the city,” and there were also jokes about the lack of a passport.
• They seriously thought about installing a statue on Bessarabia Square. But, since at that time it was an unsightly outskirts of Kyiv (and in this case Bogdan Khmelnitsky would have pointed to the tavern with his mace), the city authorities rejected this option in time.
• But they miscalculated in another case. When they first installed the monument, they discovered that its back side was turned towards St. Michael’s Cathedral, so they had to turn it around a little (so as not to offend the feelings of the believers). Now he is looking somewhere to the north (towards Sweden), and not Poland (as was originally intended).
• City architect V. Nikolaev, who designed and built the pedestal for the monument, worked for free, and spent the money he saved on installing fencing and lanterns.

• One day an unexpected situation occurred. A bronze feather disappeared from the hetman's hat. There were rumors that Polish football fans were taking revenge in this way. But the sculptors who restored the monument explained everything by oxidation of the joint and the cavity of the internal part. Apparently it fell inside. Who knows, maybe that’s how it all happened.
• Thanks to domestic 3D technologies, this was the first “temporarily revived” monument in Ukraine.
• In 2005, a stone was added to the composition, which depicts the election of then-president Viktor Yushchenko as hetman of Ukraine. He subsequently renounced the title, but the stone still stands to this day.

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Location:

G. Kyiv, pl. Sofia.

A king, hero or general riding on a horse is a popular theme in memorial art. The most famous artistic sculptures of this kind are the Bronze Horseman or the sculpture of Peter I, installed on Senate Square in St. Petersburg in 1782, and the monument to Johann of Saxony, towering over Dresden's Theater Square. But! Growing interest in Ukraine is forcing travel organizers to take a fresh look at one of Kyiv’s long-standing attractions. We are talking about the monument to Bohdan Khmelnitsky, which appeared on Sophia Square in 1888.

This is a rare monument in its beauty and decisive dynamism to the hetman of the Zaporozhye Army, one of the most striking and controversial figures in modern Ukrainian history. Why controversial? On the initiative of Bogdan Zinovy ​​Khmelnitsky, the lower lands of the Sich, part of the left bank of Ukraine in the Middle Dnieper region, and Kyiv itself “broke” ties with the Polish-Lithuanian state and became part of the Russian kingdom.

The memorial work is represented by the image of the hetman himself, who, at full speed, sharply reins in his lathered horse. The Hetman is dressed in what today would be called a “ceremonial uniform” - trousers “the width of the whole Black Sea”, morocco boots, a traveling cloak and a hat with a feather, demonstrating the social status of the main arsonist and initiator of the Cossack uprising, which later turned into a national liberation war against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth of 1648-1654.

In his right hand, the commander holds a mace, which sets the direction of movement for the people who have trusted in the energy of this person. The horse, stopped in full gallop, is placed on a relatively low stone. Its shape imitates a steppe mound.

All the details of the sculpture - the horse, the rider and his clothes, are carefully worked out, the statue has a portrait resemblance to Bogdan Khmelnitsky, so the composition makes a great impression on the viewer from almost any angle.

It is believed that one of the most powerful landmarks of Kyiv in sculptural form depicts the meeting of Bohdan Khmelnytsky with the city residents immediately after the victory over Pilyavtsy.

At the same time, it is known for certain that the original concept of the monument was very different from what we see now. The option was quite seriously considered in which Bogdan Khmelnitsky would use a horse to trample and push off a cliff a Polish nobleman and a Jesuit, who were falling on the corpse of a murdered Jew. At the same time, the hand with Khmelnitsky’s mace should have been turned in the direction of Moscow. A kobzar with the face of Taras Shevchenko was supposed to sit at the foot of the rock. Naturally, the kobzar sang, and the Belarusian, Red Russian and Little Russian, endowed with a characteristic appearance, listened to him.

It is known exactly what made the sculptor refuse - Mikhail Mikeshin, from the original concept. In 1870, an all-Russian fundraising for the current monument project began, by subscription. We collected only 37 thousand rubles. Therefore, the Governor-General of the South-Western Territory, Alexander Dondukov-Korsakov, proposed removing the anti-Polish and anti-Semitic component from the composition. In a very “stripped-down” version, the statue of Bogdan Khmelnitsky with a horse was cast in St. Petersburg at the Berda factory in 1877. The city's maritime department donated 25.6 tons of scrap metal for this purpose.