Title: Saint Vladimir Monument

Description

This view of the 1853 monument to Saint Vladimir overlooking the Dnieper River is from Souvenir of Kiev, an early 20th-century album showing the main sites of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine and at that time one of the most important cities of the Russian Empire. Prince Vladimir Sviatoslavich (circa 956–1015), or Saint Vladimir the Great, brought Christianity to the medieval polity of Kievan Rus in 988. The monument, some 18 meters high, was designed by sculptor Vasily Demut-Malinovsky (1779–1846). The statue, which is only one quarter of the monument’s total height, is by the sculptor Pyotr Klodt (1805–67). It features the figure of Vladimir with a cross in his right hand and a prince's cap in his left hand. The brick and iron pedestal decorated with stars and crosses is by Konstantin Ton (1794–1881). The huge cross held by the saint was originally lit by gas flares, later replaced by electricity, so the statue could be seen at night. The installation of the statue, approved by Tsar Nicholas I, became part of the new Saint Michael’s Park, laid out with lawns, avenues, and benches. The 25 views in Souvenir of Kiev are collotypes, made using a chemically-based printing process widely employed before the invention of offset lithography.

Last updated: February 29, 2012