It is the oldest sculptural monument, a dominating feature of the Dnipro banks, and one of the city's symbols.

The bronze statue of the Baptizer of the Rus' people, depicting him in a coat with a big cross in his right hand and the Great Prince hat in his left, stands 4.4 m (14 ft) tall on a 16 m (52 ft) tall pedestal that has the silhouette of an octagonal chapel in pseudo-Byzantine style on a square stylobate.

The brick pedestal and stylobate are revetted with cast iron plates.

Started by Vasily Demut-Malinovsky, the monument was finished by Peter Clodt von Jürgensburg in 1853.

The monument is also depicted on Ukrainian karbovanets banknotes issued in 1993 to 1995.