Minister Eide unveiled replica of rune stone in Ukraine

The Alstad stone is a rune stone that originally stood at Alstad farm in Norway. Today, Foreign Minister Eide and Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha unveiled a replica of the rune stone, which has been erected in an idyllic plain by the Dnipro river in Vytachiv in Ukraine.

‘The inscriptions on the original Alstad stone are over 1000 years old and tell the story of a family tragedy: a Viking father’s tribute to his son Torald, who died here in Vytachiv. The Alstad stone represents the shared cultural heritage between Norway and Ukraine. The promise of trade and wealth in the Kyiv Empire drew thousands of our Viking ancestors southward. The Vikings sailed down the river where we are now standing, passing cities such as Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson along the way. These are cities we have all come to know for the courage of those who live there today. Symbols such as the Alstad Stone are not only evidence of our shared history, but also of Norway's support for Ukraine's independence and freedom,’ said Mr Eide.

The replica of the stone has been erected in Vytachiv, south of the capital Kyiv. According to historians, this settlement was called Vitaholm by the Vikings and it is mentioned in the stone’s runic inscriptions.

The idea to give Ukraine a replica of the stone arose when Mr Eide visited Vytachiv with Mr Sybiha in autumn 2024.

‘Some of the Vikings who sailed through here a thousand years ago chose to stay. They left behind small traces of their traditions and customs, which over time have become part of Ukraine's rich cultural heritage and national identity. The seeds of our partnership today were sown through these ancient ties, whether between kings and queens, merchants and traders, or farmers and sailors,’ said Mr Eide.

During a visit to Norway in October 2025, Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska and Mr Sybiha unveiled a statue of Queen Ellisiv of Norway in Harald Harådes square in Oslo. Queen Ellisiv was born Princess Jelisaveta of Kyiv before she married  King Harald Hardråde.

Queen Ellisiv and Torald, who is mentioned on the Alstad stone, likely lived during the same period. Both the monument to Queen Ellisiv and the Alstad stone illustrate the historical connections between the Norwegian and Ukrainian peoples that stretch back over thousands of years.

The Alstad stone originally stood at Alstad farm in Østre Toten in Innlandet county. It is one of the best preserved rune stones from the Viking Age in Norway. The stone is both a picture stone and a rune stone. As well as its runic inscriptions, the stone is richly ornamented and decorated with pictorial motifs.

The Museum of Cultural History in Oslo was commissioned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to create the replica. The work of carving and shaping the stone was carried out by stonemason Erik Sandquist.

Facts

• The Norwegian Alstad stone is a rune stone dating back to the late 900s with ornamentation in the Ringerike style.
• The rune stone originally stood at Alstad farm in Østre Toten, Innland county, but was moved to the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo a few years ago.
• The original stone is to be erected at the new Viking Museum.
• The replica is made out of stone from the same place that the Alstad stone originally came from: Ulvøya in Steinsfjorden.