The Monument to St Volodymyr the Great

In the year of 988 Volodymyr the Great converted all Russian people to Christianity in the Dnipro River. After a few centuries the Monument to Volodymyr the Great Equal to the Apostles was erected at the same place, where the prince stood during the ceremony.

In 1843 Russian Tsar Nicholas I ordered to build this monument under the project of a famous sculptor Vasyliy Demut-Malynovs’kyi. It was unveiled in 1853.

The figure of Volodymyr is cast in bronze. He holds a huge cross in his right hand, and a prince's hat in the left hand. An octagonal, 16-meter pedestal was built of bricks and faced with iron by architect Konstantin Ton. Sculptor Peter Klodt completed its decoration. Scenes of the Kyivan Rus’ Christianisation are depicted on the pedestal.

The cross in the hands of Prince Volodymyr is illuminated. This light symbolizes enlightenment and is visible from afar. The monument is located on Volodymyrs’ka Hirka hill, where you might see a wonderful view of Kyiv.