25 Unusual Monuments in Kyiv: Hedgehog, Black Bull and Granny
Kyiv is becoming more and more like European cities, where monuments are built without a special historical occasion, but simply to create unique city mood.
Unusual sculptures in Ukrainian capital amuse, attract good luck and money, help to pass exams and even fight cold. In addition to “Hedgehog in the Fog”, we found 25 unusual art objects in capital of Ukraine that are worth seeing at least once in a lifetime.
Police Officer with a Dog
This metal sculpture is only a few days old, and it has already managed to “sink” into the soul of both children and adults. The policeman is very positive and looks like a cartoon hero policeman Uncle Stepa, who tried to help everyone. Next to him you will see the faithful shepherd.
The policeman is quite high — 2.5 meters. He holds an umbrella over the information terminal near the Kiev police. It is interesting that the police officer has a light bulb in his head, as the sculpture still plays the role of a street lamp.
However, they did not yet announce the name of the new art object. The Kiev police say they soon want to announce a competition for the best name.
Address: 15 Volodymyrska Street
Black Bull
Not so long ago, a sculpture of a huge black bull appeared in Poznyaki in Kiev.
It was installed over the summer terrace of one of the cafes. Now the locals every now and then are photographing the bull.
Address: Knyazhyi Zaton Street
Granny
It is impossible to walk past the monument to Granny with a serious face expression. She sits on one of the benches in Taras Shevchenko Park and looks at all the passers-by. Maybe she is waiting for someone.
Looking closely at grandchildren or just resting?
In any case, everyone likes Grandma, especially students. There is a belief: if before test or exam you rub your student record book with grandmother’s handbag, you’ll definitely get good degree. And if you sit next to her — all day will be lucky.
Therefore, they love to visit a cute old woman, so as not to make her get bored. Some they even cover her with a jacket when it rains.
Address: Taras Shevchenko Park
Monument Almighty Hryvnia
The hryvnia monument appeared in Kiev in May this year and can be found near the Kiev National Economic University. According to journalist Andrei Pavlovsky, one of the initiators of the project, the coin with a face value of one hryvnia costs 300 thousand hryvnias.
It is interesting that entrepreneurs, students, and even pensioners donated funds for such an unusual monument. After all, they all want the coin to become a symbol of change and prosperity of Ukrainians.
Address: 54/1 Victory Avenue
Unbelievable Jew Uncle Yasha
If you ever find yourself on Podil, be sure to check out Uncle Yasha. This is an unusual wooden sculpture near Tsimes Restaurant.
It is there that the old Jew, nicknamed Uncle Yasha, sits at a table and counts money. Kievans have already got a new belief: to attract money, you need to throw a coin to Uncle Yasha.
Address: 10/5 Petra Sagaidachnogo Street
Monument to Coffee Grinder
Walking in the center of Kiev, turn so that Independence Square is on the left, and dive into Taras Shevchenko Lane, and you will see a monument to the coffee grinder, which stands next to the Kaffa coffee shop.
It has a small but interesting story. This coffee grinder is an exact copy of the small manual coffee grinder that the owner of the coffee house has. He got it from a German family who lived in Western Ukraine.
For the owner of the coffee shop, this coffee grinder has become a symbol of his favorite business. In addition, sculptor and smith Vladimir Belokon managed to make a copy of it, which became one more gem of the city.
Address: 3 Taras Shevchenko Lane
Monument to the Ballerina
The history of this monument is one of the cutest and most amazing in Kiev. First, instead of a ballerina, the Kiev environmental sculptor Vladimir Kolinko from a dried tree, which no longer pleased the Kievites, created a sculpture of a match.
This monument is a part of Street Art Tour of Kyiv.
However, just a few days later a note appeared on the monument. It said: “Please make it a monument to the ballerina. The honored ballerina lives nearby and she will be extremely pleased. Thank you”.
The sculptor was very surprised at such a sweet request, so he could not ignore it. Therefore, very soon a red-haired ballerina appeared at the place of the match. Her body is made of linden, her hands and head are made of ceramics, and her tutu skirt is made of building mesh.
Address: 8/2 Sretenska Street
Monument to the Match
However, there is still a monument to a match in Kiev. It’s called “The Living Match.” The author Vladimir Belokon created a 4-meter burning match, on which, if you look closely, a green sprout is visible.
With such an unusual composition, sculptor and blacksmith wanted to draw the attention of Kievans to the problem of the destruction of green zones.
Address: 37/41 Artyom Street
Cat made of Disposable Forks
The sculpture of a cat on a tree, which is completely made of ordinary plastic forks, is funny creation that cheers up and amuses.
To “collect” the wonderful cat, the sculptor Konstantin Skretutsky used 600 disposable forks and over one hundred screws.
Address: 40-A Volodymyrska Street
Monument to the Nose
Everyone is used to the fact that monuments are mainly for people. Therefore, many are very surprised to see Monument to the nose. It is believed that this is a prototype of the nose of the writer Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol.
This monument is a part of Old Town Tour of Kyiv.
Previously, the monument was located on St. Andrew’s Descent. It is how one of the legends was created; it says that Gogol was walking with a runny nose along the Descent and could not think of anything else other than his nose. This is how the idea of his novel Nose came.
However, Kiev residents and guests of the capital are delighted with the second story connected with the monument. It is believed that if you rub the nose with your hands, you will never have a cold. The most interesting thing is that everyone is rubbing, even those who do not believe in it — what if it is true?!
Address: 13 Desyatynna Street
A Huge Blue Hand — instead of Lenin
The monument, which caused a lot of discussion and disagreement among the people of Kiev, was installed near the place where earlier there was a monument to Lenin on Taras Shevchenko Boulevard. A giant hand symbolizes friendship and communication. Its author is the Romanian sculptor Bogdan Raci.
The blue arm is installed temporarily, as it relates to the Moving Monuments project. There is no exact date when the monument will “move” to another country. However, often such art objects stand in one place for 1–2 years.
Address: T. Shevchenko Boulevard
UPD: The sculpture stood in Kiev for almost a year. In August 2019, the blue hand moved to Nikolaev.
Travelling Globe
The amusing globe in glasses, which “sat down” to rest, will appeal to those who love to travel.
Passers-by always take pictures with the travelling globe. It is located in the Obolonsky district, and who knows where it goes further: to Siberia, Lapland or maybe Africa?
Address: 8 Heroes of Stalingrad Avenue
Flying Cow
The sculptor Konstantin Skretutsky believes that everything is possible in our world — even flying cows.
Ten years ago, he installed a “flying cow” on one of the dried trees In Ukrainian capital. It looks like the cow has landed on a tree and smiles at everyone around. The work of art itself is made of wire, wood and plastic spoons.
Address: 47 Olesya Gonchara Street
Sculpture Series “The War Is Near”
Last summer on the central streets of Kiev, metal silhouettes of children, men and women appeared; they clearly show signs of shelling.
Thus, the author of the project, the volunteer of the ATO, Oles Kromplyas decided to show the people of Kiev that the war is very close.
The sculptures impress both Kievans and guests of the capital. The most interesting thing is that they are “woven” into the life of the city, because on the Embankment, where the newlyweds often take pictures one finds the silhouette of a couple, in the park you will see a child with a ball, near the entrance to the Khreshchatyk metro station, where they often dance break — the silhouette of a guy.
Heart of Stones
Many art objects in Kiev are dedicated to lovers. The composition “For you …” not far from the metro station “Darnitsa” will surprise everyone.
After all, it was created from decorative stones, which fill the cell — gabion.
It took about seven cubic meters of stones to create this unusual sculpture. And around the heart there is a bench where those in love meet every day.
Address: 3 Andrei Malyshko Street
Love Universe
Another symbol of the love of a man and a woman can be found in Shevchenko Park. It is there that the steel figures of lovers stand frozen for a moment in each other’s arms.
Alexander Lidagovsky, the author of the unusual art object, explains his idea this way: “The harmony of a man and a woman is the harmony of two principles, and here it is identified with the harmony of the Universe.”
Address: Taras Shevchenko Park
The Couple of Chairs
Many people know the chair on a bicycle in the Passage on Khreshchatyk; but only locals know about these two on Obolon. This unusual and romantic art object appeared three years ago.
The chairs, which bent their legs and sit on the railing, symbolize the boy and the girl on their first date who sat down to chat. Such a cute art object was brought to life by sculptor and blacksmith Volodymyr Belokon.
Address: 7 Obolonska Embankment, near building 3
Monument to the Beauty Butterfly
In one of the courtyards in the center of Kiev, on Pirogov Street, you can find a beautiful forged sculpture of a graceful butterfly. It sits on a large chamomile in shoes and with a nail file, just like a true yoke!
This cute art object was set by the owners of a beauty salon. Many Kievans come to look at the beautiful butterfly and take pictures with it.
Address: 2 Pirogov Street
White Raven Dormitory
Not only sculptors but also many Kiev residents like the idea to turn dried street trees into monuments.
On Oles Gonchar Street, on one of the half-cut trees, a whole family of white ravens is located. White raven-mother and seven of her chicks have been decorating the capital for more than one year, but not everyone saw this unusual art object.
Address: 30-A Oles Gonchar Street
Mini-monuments of the Main Symbols of Kiev
In Kiev, as part of the Shukai project, mini-monuments were installed to the Kiev-style patty (globally known as Chicken Kiev), chestnuts and Kiev cake.
These art objects are not only unique in size. When you find them and use the QR code, you will find out a lot of interesting information about each of the mini-monuments.
It was a bronze sculpture of Kiev-style patties near Chicken Kyiv Restaurant that appeared first among mini-monuments. A mini-sculpture is located on one of the windowsills at the entrance to the restaurant.
Shoes of Insurance Agent
This monument is interesting because it is in the Book of Records of Ukraine with the nomination “The biggest shoes that you can try on”.
The idea of creating such huge, but worn-out shoes belongs to one of Kiev insurance companies. That is how they wanted to show how hard the work of insurance agent is.
Every now and then Kievans and guests of the capital try on shoes. Not only for beautiful photos. After all, there is a rumor: whoever wears huge shoes will be lucky.
Address: 3 Belorusska Street
Mavka
Did you recognize her? This is the same Mavka, who turned into a willow because of her love for the young man Lukash, as famous drama “Lisova Pisnya” by Lesya Ukrainka tells.
This sculpture is one of the most mystical in the capital and is located in the depths of the Square named after Chkalov. The sculpture itself is plaster, white and made in such a way that Mavka’s face mysteriously peeks out of a tree.
Interestingly, the tree where the sculpture appeared was not dried. It just had to be treated, and they did it in such an unusual artistic way.
Address: 55–57 Gonchar Street
Monument to Scissors
The monument in the form of hairdressing scissors is located in Kiev near Gallery Studio beauty salon. This is the exact copy of hairdressing scissors, however increased 20 times. The height of the monument is 3.85 m.
Interestingly, on the day of its opening, this unusual art object was included in the “Book of Records of Ukraine” in the category “Art” and received a diploma as “The biggest hairdressing scissors”.
Few people know that huge scissors are a gift from a young man to his girlfriend, who works as a makeup artist in the Gallery Studio salon.
Address: 4/7 Citadelna Street
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