In the center of the Detinets (Kremlin), it was unveiled on September 8, 1862. It is the work of Mikhail Mikeshin, an eminent Russian sculptor active in the second half of the 19th century.During the World War II , the Nazis dismantled the monument and prepared it for transportation to Germany. Luckily, they never succeeded to accomplish this plan. After Novgorod's liberation, the monument was restored and in November 1944 once again unveiled to the public.