One of the best most well-known monuments in Kiev, it has even become one of the symbols of the city. Bogdan Khmelmitskiy is a national hero of Ukraine, the leader of the fighting for freedom against Polish oppression during 1648-1654.
The sculptor who designed this monument was Mikhail Mykeshin. Firstly the project of the sculptur was more complicated, it supposed to be some figures of triumphant Slavs and their enemies (represented by a Jesuit, a Polish noble and a Jew). But unfortunately there was enough money only for Bogdan and his horse, even not enough for the pedestal. So the monument was "under arrest" for 6 years and only some time later an architect Nikolaev proposed to put a monument on some stone blocks that had been left after constuction of the bridge over the Dnieper. Finally the monument was opened in 1888.