St. Sophia Cathedral

Located in Kiev, Ukraine, a magnificent church stands called the St. Sophia Cathedral. The church was designed to compete against Hagia Sophia located in Constantinople, this particular church was established during the 11th century. The architecture of St. Sophia Cathedral is simply charming, and in fact, today, is one of the most popular and best-known landmarks in the city.

The cathedral of St. Sophia was first established in 1037 by a prince by the name of Yaroslav I, the Wise. The outside of the church was completely covered with plinths and the design of the cathedral included five naves, five apses, and 13 cupolas, which was somewhat unusual for a Byzantine structure. Then on three sides of the cathedral were two-tier galleries. When finished, St. Sophia Cathedral was quite beautiful.

During the late 17th century, the St. Sophia Cathedral was reconstructed in the current Baroque architecture, which took until 1707 to complete. This new design included frescos and mosaics that came from the 11th century. However, the structure was captured and controlled by the Soviets in 1934, being designated as a historical museum and reserve. This confiscation included all of the architectural buildings around it that were built during the 17th and 18th centuries.

Even though both Ukrainian and Soviet politicians had been promising since the late 1980s that the building would be returned to the Orthodox Church, with disagreements brewing within the church body, this transfer was postponed. Even so, it was determined that Orthodox churches would be permitted to conduct services at certain times although they were also denied at other times.

For example, one such service included the funeral of the Patriarch Vladimir. What people believed would be a peaceful gathering turned into a disaster when riot police were sent to prevent the burial, which was to occur at the location of the museum. The result was a bloody battle that banned all religious groups from using the church for regular services again. However, the museum, which still stands is open to tourists.


Last Updated: 10/19/2006 3:14:00 PM

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