Oslo Unveils Monument to Elisiv of Kyiv, Marking Millennium of Norwegian Queen’s Birth
A new monument dedicated to Elisiv of Kyiv (Elisaveta Yaroslavna), daughter of the Kyivan ruler Yaroslav the Wise and queen consort of Norway’s King Harald Hardrada, has been unveiled in the Norwegian capital.
The Gaze reports this, referring to LB.ua.
The event marks roughly a thousand years since the birth of the princess who bridged the medieval worlds of Kyiv and Scandinavia.
According to Scandinavian sagas, Harald Hardrada once lived at Yaroslav’s court in Kyiv before serving in the Varangian Guard in Constantinople.
The sagas also preserve verses he is said to have written for his beloved Elisiv, who later became his wife and queen.
The monument, titled “The Guardian of the Golden Ring,” was designed by Danish artist Sidsel Bonde, who won an open international competition. The minimalist stone sculpture consists of a granite block with a conical aperture filled with onyx.
When the sun aligns toward Kyiv (at an azimuth of 121.5°), the opening glows with a “golden ring” of light – a symbolic gesture linking Norway’s royal history to the city of Elisiv’s birth.
Bonde’s design met the jury’s strict criteria: the work had to blend harmoniously with Oslo’s urban landscape, remain under one meter in height, and withstand Norway’s harsh northern climate.
Preparations for the monument took several years and coincided with Norway’s celebration of the millennium of Elisiv’s birth. Ukraine marked the anniversary in 2022, when the National Bank of Ukraine issued a commemorative coin in her honor.
Although Elisiv’s exact birth date remains uncertain, historians estimate it around 1025, the period when she married Harald. Her life serves as a reminder of the deep and enduring cultural connections between Kyiv and Northern Europe, forged through dynastic marriages, trade, and faith nearly a thousand years ago.
As The Gaze previously reported, the Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has published a list of more than 170 Ukrainian cultural treasures stolen by Russian occupiers.