Mikheshin (according to), Hetman Bohdan Khmelnitsky
Patinated bronze.
Dimensions: 24.5 x 24.3 x 14 cm
Weight: 5.18 kg
A copy of the famous monument by Mikhail Mikeshin, located on Sofia Square in Kyiv. The cast perfectly reproduces the original: the characteristic silhouette and pose of Khmelnytsky (and even his facial features, which Mikeshin tried to render as faithfully as possible, following the available iconography), standing oak horse on a hill, reminiscent of a mound on the steppe.
The monument was paid for by donations and cast in 1879 in St. Petersburg. It was unveiled in July 1888 on the occasion of the 900th anniversary of the baptism of Rus in Sofia Square. The original design of the monument was modified due to financial problems and at the request of Tsar Alexander II, as it was too controversial (the artist intended that next to Khmelnytsky were to be his allies: a Russian, a Belarusian, a resident of Red Ruthenia, and a Ukrainian-bearded man. In turn, the Hetman's horse was to trample his enemies: a Jew, a Pole and a Catholic priest, which was met with large protests and objections from the tsar, worried about stoking ethnic tensions).
The monument is currently shielded to protect it from Russian air strikes.
[PK]
