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Pushkin Bust

Pushkin Bust is a commemorative monument in Kyiv’s Pechersk district, honoring the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin (1799–1837). This bronze bust, created by Robert Bach, stands atop a two-meter basalt column, with the full monument reaching 4.2 meters including the pedestal and statue. It was erected in 1899 for the centenary of Pushkin’s birth and placed in front of a building that now houses the National Transport University. The site once belonged to the prestigious Pechersk Gymnasium, whose Russian inscription still records the dedication to Pushkin.

Green-patinated bronze bust of Alexander Pushkin outdoors in front of a light-colored building.
The Pushkin bust stands outside a building with white brick sections and windows.
August 2009 © · Attribution
Pushkin bust on a tall column behind a decorative iron fence
The Pushkin bust stands on a tall column in a paved square, framed by a decorative fence and nearby buildings.
April 2017 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Weathered bronze Pushkin bust on a tall dark stone pedestal with flower boxes at the base
Pushkin bust mounted on a tall stone pedestal, surrounded by flower boxes at the base.
May 2009 © · Attribution
Graffiti-covered pedestal of the Pushkin Bust with a decorative cap at the top, standing before a building entrance.
The pedestal of the Pushkin Bust, marked with graffiti, stands in front of a building.
October 2022 © Вадим Поздняков · CC0
Weathered plaque with Cyrillic inscription for Pushkin and the dates 1799 and 26 May 1899.
Cyrillic inscription plaque for Pushkin, with raised lettering and commemorative dates.
August 2009 © · Attribution

Identification

TitlePushkin Bust
Original titleПам'ятник (погруддя) Олександрові Пушкіну в Києві
Typebust monument
SubjectAlexander Pushkin (1799–1837), Russian poet and writer

Historical context

Erected forthe centenary of Alexander Pushkin's birth

Creator

SculptorRobert Bach
Made inSaint Petersburg
Cast byBerto firm

Discovery and provenance

Commissioned byKyiv-Pechersk Gymnasium
Fundingsubscription fund among teachers and students of the gymnasium; 900 karbovantsi raised

Location and ownership

Original locationin front of the façade of the Kyiv-Pechersk Gymnasium, at the corner of Nikolska Street and Esplanadna Street, Kyiv
Current locationPechersk district, Kyiv, Ukraine, on Slava Square, in front of the National Transport University, at the corner of Ivan Mazepa Street and Mykhailo Omelianovych-Pavlenko Street
Former buildingthe building now housing the National University of Transport formerly housed the Kyiv-Pechersk Gymnasium

Physical characteristics

Total height4.20 m
Bust height0.6 m
Pedestal height2 m
Support structuretall basalt hexagonal column pedestal

Materials

Bust materialbronze
Pedestal materialbasalt

Appearance

Inscription«Александру Сергеевичу Пушкину Киево-Печерская Гимназия. 1799. 26 мая 1899»
Inscription languageRussian, with archaic orthography

History and restoration

Unveiled1899
Period of existence1899–2022
Destroyed11 October 2022
Removal circumstancesafter a massive Russian missile attack on Ukraine, it was knocked off its pedestal by unknown persons
Damagethe bust was damaged when it fell
Dedication of destructiondedicated to Lieutenant Denys Antipov (call sign 'Buk'), a public activist and Korean-language instructor at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, killed in May 2022

Significance

Claimed distinctionoldest Pushkin monument in Kyiv
Number of Pushkin statues in the cityone of two statues dedicated to Pushkin in Kyiv