On Taras Shevchenko Square in the urban-type settlement of Borodianka in Bucha Raion, in front of the Palace of Culture, stands a copper bust of the Kobzar with a bullet-riddled head. In the spring of 2022, photos of this monument spread around the world, and it became one of the symbols of the resilience of Kyiv Oblast. Delegations from many countries still come to Borodianka to see it with their own eyes.
The 1992 Monument
The bust was unveiled on August 21, 1992—in the first year of independence. The authors are sculptor Mykola Mishchuk and art critic A. Krainiev. The bust is made of forged sheet copper, half a millimeter thick and five times life-size. That same year, the square and the district palace of culture were named after Shevchenko. During the reconstruction of the square in 2008, a new 3.5-meter-high hexagonal pedestal lined with marble, featuring the poet's engraved verses, was built for the bust.
March 2, 2022
On the morning of March 2, 2022, at 7:46, a Russian Su-34 bomber destroyed a nine-story apartment building opposite the Palace of Culture with three guided bombs. Then the pilot turned the plane around and strafed Shevchenko's bust with a burst from a 30mm cannon. To hit the target, the plane flew very low and slow—and became a target for Ukrainian anti-aircraft gunner Oleksandr Avramenko. At 7:49, the Su-34 crashed into a field on the northern outskirts of Borodianka and exploded.
After the de-occupation of Borodianka, photos and videos of the bullet-riddled bust were seen by the whole world. In November 2022, the bust was temporarily moved to the National Taras Shevchenko Museum in Kyiv: museum staff cleaned it from construction debris inside and treated it with a protective solution before returning it to the square. On August 20, 2023, the Taras Shevchenko National Prize was awarded near the bust. In 2025, restorers acknowledged that the copper shell requires urgent restoration.
How to Get There
Borodianka is located 50 km northwest of Kyiv. You can get here by commuter electric trains from Kyiv towards Korosten and Teterev, or by buses along the highway via Bucha. The bust is located on Taras Shevchenko Square in the center of the settlement, in front of the Palace of Culture.
Tip
This is a place of memory, so please behave respectfully. You can leave flowers nearby. The trip can be combined with the ruins of the Osten-Sacken Palace in Nemishajeve, located on the same railway line. Read more about the region in the article about Kyiv Polissia.
