Ukraine - Kiev - St Sophia Cathedral

If you travel to Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, the one site that is an absolute must for you to see is St. Sophia's Cathedral. The staff in your Kiev hotel will be glad to give you directions to this most iconic of the city's attractions.

St. Sophia's Cathedral is the oldest church in Kiev, and by far the most magnificent. Medieval records do not agree on just when the church was built, but scholars believe construction began about 1017, and was completed ten years later. Its basic design is that of the Byzantine three-aisled cruciform temple. However, it has five aisles instead of the traditional three, to allow two additional altars; one for St. George, the patron saint of Prince Yaroslav the Wise; and the other for Michael the Archangel, protector of Kiev. The cathedral was named after the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople.

The church has ambulatory galleries inside and outside. One staircase tower leads to the choir loft, and another leads to the upper floor where the scriptorium, school, library, and offices are located. The central part of the cathedral is divided into aisles and transepts by twelve supporting columns. The structure is crowned with 25 cupolas. The cupolas and vaults are arranged in such a manner as to neutralize the outward thrust of the central cupola. This results in a harmonious pyramid-like arrangement. In 1054 two bays of the internal ambulatory were converted into a burial vault for Prince Yaroslav.

Over the centuries there were numerous alterations made to St. Sophia's. In the 17th century, because of damage caused by earthquakes, and deterioration due to age, the church's exterior was renovated in Ukrainian baroque style. The bell tower was added in the mid-18th century, and the gilded cupola in 1852. However, even with all these changes being made to the exterior, the church's spectacular interior remained as it had always been.

The inner décor of St. Sophia's is decidedly Byzantine, but the subject matter varies from that of other Greek churches. Instead of the cycle of Church feast days, St. Sophia's décor focuses on the Last Supper, the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. St. Sophia's also has frescoes and mosaics on the walls and pillars, which is unusual in a Byzantine church. The church door, oddly enough, displays such secular scenes as horseracing and hunting.

In the Soviet era there was a great controversy when the Soviet government wanted to tear the cathedral down to make room for a park. Fortunately, historians fought to have the church preserved. Now it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The 18th century Refectory has been made into a museum where visitors can learn about the medieval history of Kiev. There are excellent models that show how the city appeared before the Tatar invasions.

If you are going to travel to Kiev, keep in mind that when you are looking for accommodations in Kiev, you don't have to stay in costly Kiev hotels. You can also get economical Kiev apartments.