On the Independence Square, among all the monuments and symbols of independent Ukraine, there is one special monument – the Cossack Mamai. Erected in 2001 on the eve of the Intercession of the Virgin, when the day of the Ukrainian Cossacks is celebrated, it is dedicated to one of the most beloved images of Ukrainian culture. The Cossack Mamai is not a specific historical figure, but a collective image of the Cossack knight, the personification of the Ukrainian people themselves: free, indomitable, with a soul open to song.
Sculptors Mykola and Valentyn Znoba depicted the hero as we know him from folk paintings and legends: sitting, legs crossed “in the Turkish way”, with a bandura on his knees, with a saber at his side, a long bangs on his shaved head and a lush mustache. Behind him is a faithful horse. Everything about this image speaks of character: a warrior who knows how to both fight and sing, a man who remains ready for battle even in moments of peace.