A monument to the baptist of the Karelians, Prince Yaroslav, will be erected in Sortavala
The opening of the monument is timed to coincide with the 800th anniversary of the baptism of the Karelians, which will be celebrated in 2027.
The idea of creating a monument to Grand Prince Yaroslav belongs to the Head of Karelia, Artur Parfenchikov. The initiative was blessed by Metropolitan of Petrozavodsk and Karelian Konstantin. The monument will appear in the city of Sortavala.
Based on the results of the competitive selection, Moscow sculptors Igor Yavorsky and Konstantin Kubyshkin, the winners of the state awards for restoration of the monument to Catherine II in Simferopol, will work on the creation of the monument.
According to the project, in his right hand, Prince Yaroslav holds the Orthodox cross, tall and large, as the symbol of his contribution to the baptism of the Karelians. On the left side, Yaroslav’s son Alexander Nevsky, one of the most famous figures in Russian history, is depicted.
Holy Blessed Grand Prince Yaroslav II Vsevolodovich was the son of Vsevolod the Big Nest and Alexander Nevsky’s father. He took an active part in the fight against the Polovtsians and in the internecine struggle of the southern Russian princes. After the Mongol conquest, he traveled to the Golden Horde twice. He was the first to receive recognition of eldership among the Russian princes and a label for the Grand Duchy of Vladimir. It was Yaroslav Vsevolodovich who baptized the Karelians in 1227. Currently, active work is underway to include Prince Yaroslav in the list of the Karelian saints.
Let us remind that the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation has prepared the plan of the main and additional events for celebration of the 800th anniversary of the baptism of the Karelians. The events dedicated to the celebration of this spiritual and historic event will take place from 2025 to 2027.
