St. Sophia Square and the Monument to Bohdan Khmelnytsky

St. Sophia Square is one of Kyiv's oldest squares, located in front of the majestic St. Sophia Cathedral. In 1648, it witnessed the triumphant entry of Bohdan Khmelnytsky's army after defeating the Polish nobility. It is no coincidence that a monument to the hetman stands in the middle of Sophia Square, solemnly unveiled on 11 (23) July 1888 as part of the celebrations marking the 900th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus. It is one of the symbols of Kyiv, a monument to 19th-century art. Nowadays, Sophia Square serves as a venue for exhibitions and concerts, and is the traditional location for the installation of Ukraine's main Christmas tree. During the full-scale Russian invasion, destroyed Russian military equipment was displayed here as a symbol of Ukraine's resilience.