St Volodymyr Monument, London

openas of 2026-10-031988World · Ukrainian tracesUnited Kingdom

Photo: Matt Brown from London, England · CC BY 2.0 · source

Volodymyr the Great in Holland Park — the mark of Britain's Ukrainian community.

The bronze statue of Saint Volodymyr was erected in 1988 by “Ukrainians in Great Britain”: the inscription on the pedestal calls Volodymyr “ruler of Ukraine 980–1015” and mentions his introduction of Christianity in 988. Its author is the Canadian sculptor of Ukrainian descent Leo Mol (Leonid Molodozhanyn). The monument was unveiled on 29 May 1988 and consecrated by Patriarch Mstyslav (Skrypnyk) and Cardinal Myroslav Ivan. The prince is depicted in priestly vestments, with a crucifix in his hand and a shield bearing the coat of arms of Ukraine. The statue stands on Holland Park Avenue, near the Ukrainian Club, the Embassy of Ukraine and Holland Park Underground station. After russia's invasion in 2022 Londoners brought flowers, flags and signs reading “Stop the Russian aggression” here and planted sunflowers. In February 2024 NV wrote how a russian man tore up the sunflowers, and activists brought new ones with a sign: “For every flower cut, a hundred more will rise”.