Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko on August 2 unveiled a monument to folk hero ancient Kyiv Rus Ilya Muromets and the first part of the Muromets revamped park on Kyiv's Trukhaniv Island.

Only funds of philanthropists were spent on the monument and the park, Kyiv City State Administration's press service said.

"I'd like to note that not a single hryvnia from the city's budget has been spent on the creation of the sculpture and the first facilities of this beautiful park! We did not use budget funds. This is a project sponsored by philanthropists," Klitschko said.

Sculptor Volodymyr Zhuravel, who created the monument, said during the unveiling event: "To stand next to our days' heroes was a dream of my childhood, but I have never dreamt of creating a legendary bogatyr [akin to knight-errant, a folk hero]. This is a huge responsibility."

Vasyl Virastyuk, the owner of the World's Strongest Man title, was a model for the sculpture.

The monument to Ilya Muromets is 11 meters high, including the hill and a pedestal made of granite.

"This is a unique monument created with the most advanced technologies. Its parts were molded in forms made by 3D printing. Perhaps it is unique for a large-sized sculpture in Ukraine and even in the world! To speed up the process, which could have taken several years, the talented sculptor, Volodymyr Zhuravel, had to invent such a unique technology," Klitschko said.

The first stage of the Muromets renewed park was also opened on August 2. Works on the park will continue. According to the people working on the park development project, it will be a modern, history-themed park. It will be equipped with a system of information and navigation, tactile signs, paths will be paved with tactile tiles so that people with disabilities could feel comfortable there. Also there will be ramps and new bike lanes.

Earlier, Klitschko explained why they had decided to install the monument to Ilya Muromets in Kyiv: "Ilya Muromets, who, according to legends, was born outside the city of Chernihiv, served Grand Prince of Kyiv Vladimir by protecting Kyiv, his relics were buried in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery. He is our hero, our history, which unfortunately they are trying to steal from us today. Therefore, Muromets will stand in Kyiv, namely on Trukhaniv Island, where Prince Vladimir's bodyguards were once stationed."