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Bust of Pushkin in Kharkiv

Bust of Pushkin in Kharkiv was a bronze monument dedicated to the Russian poet Aleksandr Sergeevič Puškin. It was erected in May 1904 on a granite pedestal in Teatral'nyj majdan, or Theatre Square, in Kharkiv, then part of the Russian Empire. The sculpture was created by Boris Vasil'evič Ėduards. After an attempted bombing in 1904, it remained in place until 1935, when it was moved to face Pushkinska Street near Poetry Square, while the bust of Gogol' took its former position. In November 2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the bust was dismantled and placed in storage. The pedestal was removed on 5 June 2024.

Dark bust of Pushkin on a stone pedestal outdoors, framed by trees against a blue sky.
Bust of Pushkin on Maidan Poezii in Kharkiv, shown on a stone pedestal beneath a clear sky.
July 2016 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Bust of Pushkin on a tall stone pedestal in a snowy outdoor setting.
Bust of Pushkin on a tall pedestal in a snow-covered park.
January 2012 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Bust of Pushkin atop a tall stone monument beside a flowerbed of pink blooms, with city buildings and trees behind it.
Bust of Pushkin mounted on a tall stone monument in a city street setting with pink flowers in front.
September 2012 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Bust of Pushkin on a tall stone monument beside a bed of yellow flowers.
Bust of Pushkin mounted on a tall stone monument in a landscaped park setting.
June 2018 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Bust of Pushkin on a tall stone pedestal in a park with pink flowers, trees, and people walking nearby.
Bust of Pushkin on a tall pedestal in a landscaped park.
October 2014 © · CC BY-SA 4.0

Identification

TitleBust of Pushkin in Kharkiv
Alternative nameMonument to Aleksandr Pushkin
TypeBust
Original-language titleПам'ятник Олександрові Пушкіну в Харкові

Creator

SculptorBoris Vasilyevich Eduards

Historical context

SubjectAlexander Pushkin (1799–1837), Russian poet and man of letters
Erected forThe centenary of Pushkin's birth in 1899
Historical contextKharkiv was part of the Russian Empire at the time of installation
FundingFunds were raised in Kharkiv to erect the monument after the 1899 centenary, but city treasury money was not found immediately
Street renamed for the monumentNemetskaya Street in Kharkiv was renamed Pushkinska Street in 1899

Physical characteristics

MaterialBronze
Pedestal materialGranite
BaseThe bust stood on a pedestal

Location and ownership

Installed while theater was named after PushkinThe drama theater in front of the monument was then also named after Pushkin
Installation dateMay 1904
Later locationFacing Pushkinska Street in Poetry Square (Teatralnyi Square / Teatralnyi Garden), Kharkiv, on the side of the square's exit to Pushkinska Street
Original locationIn front of the drama theater at the beginning of Teatralnyi Square in Kharkiv, opposite Sumskaya Street

History and restoration

RelocationMoved in 1935 when the drama theater was renamed Shevchenko Theatre
Replacement after relocationA bust of Gogol took its place at the original site
Attempted bombingOn the night of 31 October 1904, activists from the underground group 'Defense of Ukraine' attempted to blow up the monument on the initiative of Mykola Mykhnovskyi
Damage from bombing attemptThe bust was not damaged; only part of the pedestal/base was broken off, and nearby windows were shattered by the blast wave
Wartime statusDuring the German occupation of Kharkiv in 1941–1943, the monument survived and remained in place
RemovalDismantled from its pedestal and removed on 9 November 2022 for storage
Reason for removalRemoved during decolonization in the context of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine; Pushkin was seen as a symbol of the invading state
Pedestal removalThe pedestal was dismantled on 5 June 2024
Heritage register statusIn November 2023, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine decided to remove the monument from the State Register of Immovable Monuments of Cultural Heritage of National Significance under number 63-101-0672

Significance

Commemorative usePoetry readings are held around the statue on the writer's anniversary days
Political significanceIn the 2000s, demonstrations in support of keeping Russian language in education, administration, and public life were held in front of the monument
Possible association with PushkinPushkin is said to have stopped in Kharkiv on his return from the Caucasus and stayed with the Shcherbynin family
Related sculptureBoris Eduards also created a bust of Nikolai Gogol in 1909 at the other end of Theatre Square