This huge titanium arch poignantly - if not controversially - celebrates the 1654 unification of Russia and Ukraine. The surrounding area is popular with the locals, holding regular markets, funfairs and open-air performances in the amphitheatre.
The arch was opened in 1982, a date which coincided with the 60th anniversary of the USSR, the 65th anniversary of the October Revolution and the 1500th anniversary of Kiev’s founding. It is symbolic of the friendship and mutual respect between Russia and Ukraine, following the Pereyaslav Council of 1654. Unsurprisingly as a reminder of the Russian occupation of Ukraine, it is not Kiev’s most popular monument.
The monument as a whole has three elements: the 50 metre arch; a bronze statue commemorating the friendship and solidarity between Russia and Ukraine, and a granite stele showing the participants of the Pereyaslav Council. From the observation deck you can see the Parkovy footbridge and Trukhaniv Island, as well as much of the Dnieper’s eastern bank.