The Monument to the Baptizer

The Monument to Prince Volodymyr the Great has drawn me for many reasons. It is, after all, one of the most recognizable images of Kyiv, standing stark, with an almost medieaval fierceness about it, over the broad waters of the Dnipro. It is also a kind of sole survivor--I understand it is the largest religious symbol left untouched by the Soviet authorities over seven decades of anti-religious rule. It is also a great Christian symbol, it having been erected in 1853 to commemorate the first Christian baptisms in the Dnipro river below this spot in the year 988 after Prince Volodymyr had himself converted. This event is depicted on the face of the statue in a bas-relief entitled, "Baptism of the Rus." Finally, the Southeast corner of this monument is the site of a special prayer uttered over the nation of Ukraine and the people of Kyiv by Boyd K. Packer on September 12, 1991. For these, and other reasons, this place is very special to me.