Description of the attraction
Monument to the Cossack Kharko or, as it is also called, - "Monument to the founders of the city of Kharkov", "Equestrian statue of Kharko", "Monument to the founders of Kharkov in honor of the 350th anniversary of the city" - this is a monument to the mythical creator of Kharkov, the Cossack Kharko.
In 2004, in the Moscow City Hall, the idea was born, initiated by Yuri Luzhkov, to give Kharkov a monument to its founder in honor of the 350th anniversary of the city. The order for the production was given to the famous sculptor Zurab Tsereteli.
The equestrian statue of bronze was made in St. Petersburg by the plant of monumental sculptures. But at whose expense is a controversial issue, since everywhere it was said that the production of the monument was paid for by the Moscow mayor's office, but on the commemorative plaque, which is attached to the monument, it is written that it was made at the expense of O. G. Shishkin, P. Ya. Fuks and GA Kernes, which means it was donated by them.
They transported it disassembled, and upon arrival, Russian specialists mounted it right on Lenin Avenue. The monument is fixed on 13-meter piles driven into the ground. The monument was unveiled on August 22, 2004. The ceremony was attended by the mayor of the city of Kharkov Vladimir Shumilkin and Yevgeny Kushnaryov - the chairman of the regional administration. At the foot of the monument, they laid a message for future generations of Kharkiv residents in a metal capsule.
The monument itself is a figure of a horseman turning in free movement. In his hands, the rider holds a spear and shield, and over his shoulders he has a bow and arrows. He is dressed in a rifleman's uniform. The rider looks to the south, that is, as if entering Kharkov from the north. As the creator, Zurab Tsereteli, commented, this statue symbolizes the unity of Ukraine and Russia and the spirit of freedom inherent in the Ukrainian people.
The height of the pedestal, faced with red granite, is 8.5 m. The height of the bronze rider is 4 meters. And the monument weighs over 700 tons.
