A Ukrainian Statue in Notting Hill

Last Monday the 19th May, I was strolling through Notting Hill on a way to Iftar, when I stumbled across this statue of St Volodmyr of Ukraine (aka Vladimir the Great) . It celebrated a millennia of Christianity in Ukraine, but why was it so significant and why was it placed in Notting Hill.

Vladimir the Great

Vladimir the Great was the son of the grand prince of Kiev. Following his returning to Ukraine in 987 CE after being forced to flee due to family tension (one of his brothers had murdered his other brother), he sent representatives to different neighbouring countries to consult religious leaders who were urging him to declare the religious state of the nation. He rejected Islam on the ‘no alcohol law’ and rejected Judaism seeing the loss of Jerusalem as an abandonment from God of His people. Thus Vladimir settled on Eastern Orthodox Christianity.

We cannot exist without that pleasure - Vladimir the Great in response to the sobriety of Islam

The reason Ukrainians wanted to commemorate the Christianisation of their country in 987 CE was because Vladimir carried out the teachings of the Bible during his reign, focusing especially on acts of charity. He provided food to the poor and visited the misfortune far and wide. It is said the underlying motivation for his acts of kindness lay in his desire to help one’s neighbour (Jesus’ greatest command in the Sermon on the Mount) by sharing the burden of the cross.

His reign also provided stability for the country after a period of turbulence and uncertainty. He founded many churches and schools which helped more people escape lives of poverty.

The statue in Notting Hill

The statue was sculpted by Ukrainean artist Leonid Molodozhanin. It’s placed on a granite plinth and was probably erected in this exact location in Notting Hill because it is only a few miles from the largest Ukrainean Catholic Cathedral in London (near Oxford Street).

Vladimir the Great holds a crucifix and is adorned with priestly robes. His crown also has a crucifix on top and symbolises the importance of the Christianisation of Ukraine to the Ukreanean people. The robe adorns him in a Tanagraean style (a city in Greece) which likens Vladimir to a great Greek god or hero.

I hope you enjoyed learning something new and I would love to hear your about favourite quirky monument/statue near about!