Vladimir the Great statue to be installed near the Kremlin

Moscow authorities have voted to erect a statue of Vladimir the Great on BorovitskayaSquare near the Kremlin, after months of dispute regarding the location of the monument.

The 12-meter monument to Prince Vladimir is to be unveiled in autumn 2016, its designer SalavatScherbakov.

The sculpture was initially planned to be mounted at Vorobyovy Gory, or Sparrow Hills, near Moscow State University, but the location was changed following a public outcry.
 
Vladimir the Great, who ruled over KievanRus’ and is recognised as having Christianised the Slavic cultures, is revered as a saint by the Russian Orthodox Church and seen by many as a founding father. Opponents of the statue have argued, however, that Moscow is an inappropriate location for the monument, as Vladimir ruled from Kiev and has no links to Moscow, which did not exist at the time of his rule.

October 12, 2016