Kyiv features monuments that celebrate everything from the founding father of the nation to the country’s independence, along with plenty that are helping to define what it means to see the decommunization play out for the city and for Ukraine as a whole. However, there are countless other obscure and outstanding monuments that memorialize individuals and events inexorably linked to the past and future of the area.
The Saint Vladimir Monument is dedicated to Vladimir the Great and was built in 1853. It is dedicated to the grand price of Kyiv who consolidated the people of the area under his leadership and solidified the frontiers against invasion. The piece has been depicted on Ukrainian currency.
Mariyinskyi Park is home to numerous monuments including the Nikolai Vatutin monument and the Headstone at Andrei Ivanov’s grave. One of the Termen Fountains is in Mariyinskyi Park, which have a history that goes back to the 1870s. There is also a mass grave of Kyiv defenders executed by Bolsheviks.
Fort Kyiv is located in the middle of the modern Kyiv metropolis, on the right bank of the Dnipro river. Built in the 18th-19th centuries, the fortress never took part in direct hostilities, and served as both a prison and warehouse before becoming the National Historical and Architectural Museum it is today. The major landmark at the Kiev Fortress is the Hospital fortification, which houses the Historic and Architectural Museum along with rotating art galleries.
The Lach Gates have a history that has been tied to Independence Square, but the Golden Gates of Kyiv are far larger and more complete. A monument to Yaroslav the Wise, who united two principalities the region under his rule, was unveiled near the west end face of the Golden Gate in 1997.
The Monument to Lesya Ukrainka honors one of Ukraine’s foremost writers. Best known for her poems and plays, there are various monuments dedicated to her accomplishments located throughout the city. However, the one that has been erected near the Kyiv Regional State Administration building showcases what it means to build a monument that both residents and visitors can appreciate.
These are just some of the obscure and outstanding monuments that are spread across Kyiv. These and plenty others all have a unique history and story that have helped to serve as attractions for visitors and points of pride for residents in order to create positive economic and cultural impacts for Kyiv and Ukraine as a whole.
