There are many beautiful places in the glorious city of Kyiv. It is famous for its candle-like chestnut trees, cobblestones, green banks of the Dnieper, and the quiet splash of fish, which makes avid fishermen raise their heads with attention. And of course, buildings and architecture that are remembered by entire centuries and generations. Museums and theaters, skyscrapers and low houses. And a red thread runs through the entire city of temples, in whose golden domes you can see the blue of the sky, whose arrows raised upwards seem to connect the sky and the earth, these two worlds so different and so impossible without each other. Temples are a whole history, a whole layer of culture. So let's take a short excursion to the most famous temples of the Ukrainian capital.
St. Ilyin Church
The church is located at 2 Pochainynska Street.
This temple became the first Orthodox temple during the time of Kievan Rus. There is a legend according to which Dir and Askold returned from Constantinople and were struck by the power of prayer. The reason for this was a storm that arose as a result of the local residents' appeal to the Lord, and which sank the Rus' ships.
They say that not far from the temple of Elijah, located at the intersection of the Dnieper and Pochaina, the people of Kiev were baptized. And in 1692, a stone church with domes rose on this place. Later, it was repeatedly completed and rebuilt, and under the Bolsheviks it also served as a granary, being part of an elevator. Now it is one of the warmest, most prayerful and cozy temples in the city.
Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker on the Waters
Church address: 8-a, Naberezhno-Khreshchatytska St.
This temple is unique in its nature, because it is not built on the usual land, but stands on the water. It was a kind of experiment. The height of the temple is 23 m, it is made in an almost traditional Ukrainian neo-baroque style. The support is twelve reinforced concrete piles. You can get to the temple by a 15-meter bridge.
This temple looks spectacular in the dawn and sunset rays of the sun, which reflect off the water surface.
Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Pyrohoshchi on Kontraktova Square
The temple got its name from the name of the Byzantine icon "Pyrgotissa", which in translation means "Tower" - the one that is kept in the towers. Even during the period of Kievan Rus, this icon was in the church. The origin of the name has another version: it is a combination of two bases: "pyro" - flour, millet, and "goscha" - that is, a guest. This version suggests the participation in the construction of the church of overseas merchants who traded in bread.
In 1131-1135, with the help of Vladimir Monomakh's son Mstislav, the first temple was built here. In 1240, the temple was almost completely destroyed by the Mongols, only to be rebuilt two hundred years later. And so it was rebuilt many times, eventually losing its resemblance to the original silhouette of the 12th century temple.
After another destruction in 1935, it was restored, acquired a Byzantine style, and was able to withstand a months-long siege.
To this day, professionals cannot come to a common opinion as to whether the modern Virgin Mary of Pyrohoshcha corresponds to her analogue from the times of Ancient Rus.
Holy Ascension Florov Monastery
Address of the monastery: 6/8 Frolivska Street.
This monastery was first mentioned in 1566. By the 19th century, it already had five churches, a school, and a hospital. During the Soviet era, the monastery was closed, and a town for workers' families was created on the territory it occupied. It returned to its original activities after the end of World War II.
On the site where the monastery is located today, you can find a spring, one of the few where Kyivans can get water other than from the water mains. The monastery is named after the holy martyrs Laurus and Flora.
St. Andrew's Church
The church is located at: Andriyivskyi Uzviz, 23.
This church is a true masterpiece of Baroque architecture, one of the brightest and most famous churches in Kyiv.
The height of the temple is 50 m. There is a circular observation deck around the church, from where you can admire the best panoramic views of the Left Bank and Podil.
Previously, until 1749, the Exaltation of the Holy Cross Church was located on the site of this church, then a modest small temple named after Andrew the First-Called, as well as the St. Andrew's Cross.
The temple has been restored many times, taking into account the difficult soil of the mountain, and now the site is being strengthened once again.
St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery
You can visit the Michael's Monastery at the address: 6 Tryohsvyatitelska Street.
According to the chronicle, this monastery was founded on July 11, 1108, by order of Prince Svyatopolk Izyaslavych. The highlight of the monastery can rightly be called the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael, the patron saint of Kyiv. It has been the most beloved temple of the townspeople for many centuries.
It is called the Golden-Domed Church because of its gilded dome, which was a novelty in these parts and therefore attracted attention.
Since 1934, some of the premises have been demolished, the demolition of the monastery buildings ended in June 1937 with the final destruction as a result of an explosion. It was planned to place administrative buildings on the vacated territory, but as time went by, nothing was placed, and for a very long time the place lay empty. Only in May 1999 the Cathedral was completely revived and again welcomed tourists and parishioners to its walls.
St. Sophia Cathedral
The cathedral is located at: 24 Volodymyrska Street.
Along with the Lavra, it became the first Ukrainian architectural monument to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
According to various chronicles, there are three ambiguous dates that are taken as the basis for the construction of the cathedral: 1011, 1017, and 1037. There is a version that the construction was started by one prince - Vladimir, and completed under another - Yaroslav.
The original cathedral was built in the Byzantine style, later a 17th-century reconstruction changed its appearance - now it has elements of Ukrainian Baroque.
The cathedral is famous for its vast areas of frescoes and mosaics, unique in their nature. Among them, we can highlight Our Lady of Oranta. In addition, the cathedral is famous for its beautiful views of the city, visible from the 76 m high bell tower.
Holy Protection Convent
Address of the monastery: Bekhterivskyi Lane, 15.
The monastery is hidden deep in the city quarters, it is one of the least known places in Kyiv. It was founded in 1889 by Princess Alexandra Romanova. Its initial task was to become a hospital for the needy and poor. In 1911, the St. Nicholas Cathedral, designed in the pseudo-Russian style, was consecrated.
Once upon a time, fifteen domes were removed from the cathedral by the Bolsheviks, which have now been safely returned to their places, and now the cathedral is once again ready to receive guests and parishioners.
St. Cyril's Church at 12 O. Telihy St.
This church is one of the few that has survived from the times of Kievan Rus, its walls have survived, although they have lost their original appearance. The church was built in 1139 under the leadership of Vsevolod of Chernihiv, it was erected as a fortress church located on Dorogozhychy. Later, the church became a place where the Kiev prince Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich and some of the Chernihiv Olgovichi came to rest.
After some changes in 1734, the church acquired the features of Ukrainian Baroque. It preserves unique 12th-century frescoes and beautiful fairy-tale paintings by Vrubel.
The church is one of the most favorite places for both residents and guests of the city.
Kyiv Pechersk Lavra
Address: 21-25 I. Mazepa St.
No matter what religion you belong to, you can visit the temple, which has become a kind of visiting card of Ukraine. It is a place of pilgrimage for many tourists and believers.
This oldest of the monasteries and temples of Kyivan Rus was built in 1051 by monks Theodosius and Anthony. During its existence, it has experienced both dizzying ups and staggering downs. Thus, in 1941, the destruction of the Assumption Cathedral, erected, as legend has it, at the behest of the Mother of God, was a particularly strong blow to the temple.
In 200, the 950th anniversary of the Lavra was celebrated, and the cathedral, renovated and revived, began to receive visitors again. The interior of the temple is still being painted to this day.
Vydubychi St. Michael's Monastery
The monastery is located at 40 Vydubytska Street.
It was founded in 1070 by the son of Yaroslav the Wise, Vsevolod. It was famous for becoming the family monastery of the Monomakhovichs and the center of active political life of those times.
Today, the monastery has three extremely beautiful temples, a well full of holy water, a bell tower, and a necropolis.
The monastery is a favorite place for walks for the townspeople, as it is located right in the Grishko Botanical Garden. These places are especially beautiful in spring, when lilacs are in full bloom.
Holy Intercession Cathedral
Address: 5 A, Pryrichna St.
The cathedral is the youngest, but this does not prevent it from being the largest of the churches in Kyiv. Its construction began in 1997 and has not been completed to this day. The highlight of the cathedral is rightfully considered to be the icon, composed as a mosaic, of the Protection of the Mother of God, the area of which is 122 sq. m.
In addition to the listed temples, a large number of them remained outside the scope of our excursion. You can get acquainted with their architecture and history yourself, when you wish to visit the beautiful and famous corners of the capital of our country. Your religion has nothing to do with temples - they represent something more than just religious buildings. This is our history, our culture, beauty, which makes up the beautiful whole of Kyiv.
Based on materials from igotoworld.com
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