Photo: Thorbjørn Kjosvold / MFA, Norway.
A new monument to Queen Ellisiv was unveiled at Harald Hårdrådes plass in Oslo, Norway, on Friday, October 24th.
Who was Queen Ellisiv, born one thousand years ago in Kyiv? She married King Harald Hardruler Sigurdsson of Norway in 1044, becoming the first Norwegian queen not born in Scandinavia. This mini-conference aims to shed light on what we know about Ellisiv and the world in which she lived.
Ellisiv was the daughter of Grand Prince Jaroslav of Kyiv and his Swedish-born wife Ingegerd. European princes wanted alliances with Kyiv, so Ellisiv’s many siblings married kings and princesses. Ellisiv’s and Harald’s marriage in Kyiv's Sophia Cathedral testifies to the close contacts between Kyiv and Norway around the end of the Viking Age. But very little is known about Ellisiv as the queen of Norway.
The artwork is created by Danish artist Sidsel Bonde, and marks a historical connection between Norway and Ukraine that dates back to the Middle Ages. The memorial was unveiled by Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska and Their Royal Highnesses The Crown Prince and Princess
Ellisiv of Kyiv, born Jelisaveta Yaroslavna, was the daughter of the prince of Kyiv and was married to the Norwegian king Harald Hardrada around the year 1044. She came to Norway as queen and has now been given her place next to the king's monument, which has stood on the square since 1905.
- The monument highlights an important but little-known part of Norwegian and Ukrainian history. Ellisiv was a key figure in the connection between Kyiv and Norway in the Middle Ages. It is important that she is highlighted, and I am pleased that with this monument we are forging even stronger ties between Kyiv and Oslo. It is extra important now to highlight the ties and friendship between Kyiv and Oslo and between Ukraine and Norway as a support for their valiant fight for freedom against Russian aggression, says City Council Leader Eirik Lae Solberg.
Source: press release Municipality of Oslo
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