--- title: "Protective framework removed from Bohdan Khmelnytsky monument in Kyiv: monument on Sofiivska Square is open again" description: "In the center of Kyiv, a protective framework that had covered the monument to Bohdan Khmelnytsky on Sofiivska Square for over four years against rocket and drone debris has been dismantled. The monument has been cleared of vegetation and is once again fully open." date: 2026-08-20T14:02:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/kyiv-removes-protective-framework-khmelnytsky-monument-sofiivska-square tags: [kyiv, monument, bogdan-hmelnitskyi, sofia-square, ukraine, restoration] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Protective framework removed from Bohdan Khmelnytsky monument in Kyiv: monument on Sofiivska Square is open again ![Equestrian statue of Bohdan Khmelnytsky on Sofiyska Square in Kyiv after the protective frame was removed: bronze monument on a stone pedestal against a blue sky](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/21/kiev-demontazh-karkasa-pamyatnik-hmelnitskiy-sofiyskaya-ploshchad/kiev-demontazh-karkasa-pamyatnik-hmelnitskiy-sofiyskaya-ploshchad-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Kyiv municipal services have completed the dismantling of the protective metal framework around the monument to Bohdan Khmelnytsky on Sofiivska Square. - The framework protected the monument from rocket and drone debris for over four years during the shelling of the capital. - During the work, the monument was cleaned of vegetation that had grown under the protective cover; it is now fully open. - The bronze equestrian composition was solemnly opened in 1888 and is one of the most recognizable symbols of Kyiv. In the center of Kyiv, municipal services have completed the dismantling of metal protective structures that, for over four years, covered one of the capital's main symbols — the monument to Bohdan Khmelnytsky on Sofiivska Square. This was reported by Wave RBC.UA, citing a post by photographer Volodymyr Baidukov in Threads. The bronze equestrian composition, previously hidden under an armored framework, is now fully exposed and presents itself to Kyiv residents and city guests in its familiar, pre-war appearance. ### Four years under 'armor' The protective framework was installed after the start of the full-scale war, when the monument, along with several other cultural objects in the capital, found itself in a risk zone. The metal structure was intended to protect the monument from rocket and drone debris during Russian shelling of Kyiv. For more than four years, the sculpture remained under this protection, making it unrecognizable to residents accustomed to seeing the rider on a rearing horse in an open view. ### Dismantling and restoration Parallel to the removal of the protective framework, specialists worked directly on the monument itself. Vegetation had grown under the long-term protective cover and was cleared during the restoration work. Thus, the dismantling of the framework coincided with a comprehensive restoration of the monument: after the completion of the work, the monument looks neat and is fully accessible for viewing. ### The history of one of Kyiv's most recognizable monuments The monument to Bohdan Khmelnytsky is located in the very center of Sofiivska Square and is one of the most recognizable symbols of the city. The solemn opening of the composition took place in 1888. The bronze sculpture depicts the Hetman on a rearing horse — an image that for more than a century and a half has become an integral part of the urban landscape and the collective memory of Kyiv residents. ### Return of the square to its pre-war appearance The removal of the protective framework is part of a broader process of restoring the pre-war appearance of Sofiivska Square and other open spaces in the capital. As the immediate threat of shelling decreases, protective structures are gradually being dismantled, returning the city to its familiar look. For the residents of Kyiv, this is not only a technical but also a symbolic event: the return of the open monument is perceived as a sign of the normalization of everyday life in the city center. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Protective framework removed from Bohdan Khmelnytsky monument in Kyiv: how it looks now](https://wave.rbc.ua/ukr/culture/kievi-znyali-zahisniy-karkas-iz-pam-yatnika-1787233329.html) - Подтверждает демонтаж защитной конструкции, её срок (более четырёх лет), цель (защита от обломков ракет и дронов), очистку памятника от растительности и дату открытия монумента в 1888 году. - [Bohdan Khmelnytsky monument in Chernihiv planned to be turned away from Moscow for 14.5 thousand ...](https://www.unian.net/curiosities/1928169-pamyatnik-bogdanu-hmelnitskomu-v-chernigove-planiruyut-razvernut-spinoy-k-moskve-za-700-tyisyach-griven.html) - Подтверждено по источнику unian.net - ["Incredible vandalism": scandal over Bohdan Khmelnytsky monument in Lviv region ...](https://glavred.info/ukraine/neveroyatnyy-ragulizm-vo-lvovskoy-oblasti-sluchilsya-skandal-iz-za-pamyatnika-bogdanu-hmelnickomu-10284444.html) - Подтверждено по источнику glavred.info - [In Chernihiv, officials cannot decide who to wash the Khmelnytsky monument of bird droppings](https://kp.ua/life/618183-v-chernyhove-chynovnyky-ne-mohut-reshyt-komu-myt-pamiatnyk-khmelnytskomu-ot-ptycheho-pometa) - Подтверждено по источнику kp.ua ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: What exactly was dismantled in Kyiv? **A:** Municipal services removed the metal protective framework that had covered the monument to Bohdan Khmelnytsky on Sofiivska Square for over four years. ### Q: Why was the monument covered with a protective structure? **A:** The framework was intended to protect the monument from rocket and drone debris during Russian shelling of the capital after the start of the full-scale war. ### Q: What was done to the monument itself during the work? **A:** Specialists restored it, specifically cleaning it of vegetation that had managed to grow under the protective cover in recent years. ### Q: When was the monument opened and what does it depict? **A:** The monument was solemnly opened in 1888; the bronze composition depicts Bohdan Khmelnytsky riding a rearing horse.