The monument to Bohdan Khmelnytsky on Sophia Square is one of the symbols of Kyiv and a notable monument of 19th-century art. The idea for its creation arose in the 1840s on the initiative of historian Mykola Kostomarov, the bronze statue was cast in 1879 according to the design of sculptor Mykhailo Mikeshyn, and the portrait features of the hetman were recreated with the advice of Professor Volodymyr Antonovych. The grand opening took place in 1888 as part of the celebration of the 900th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus.
The sculpture is striking in its dynamism: Khmelnytsky abruptly stops his horse and, with his mace raised, addresses the people – as if repeating the gesture of his triumphal entry into Kyiv in 1648. The pedestal in the form of a steppe mound was designed by architect Volodymyr Nikolayev.