St Sophia's, KIev, from its Square - a photo on Flickriver

            Looking across Sofiyivska Square’s checkerboard to Saint Sophia Cathedral (Ukrainian: Собор Святої Софії) in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. This is one of the city's best known landmarks and the joint first heritage site in Ukraine to be inscribed on the World Heritage List along with the Pechersk Lavra monastery complex 4 kilometres to the south. Some handsome 19th Century sugar boom buildings, so characteristic of central Kyiv, are just visible right of shot.

Named after Istanbul’s Haghia Sophia, its dedication is to Holy Wisdom rather than to a specific saint named Sophia. The first foundations were laid in either 1011 or 1037, with the earlier date being accepted to allow officially celebrations of its thousandth anniversary in 2011. The structure has 5 naves, 5 apses, and (quite surprisingly for Byzantine architecture) 13 cupolas.  Originally the cathedral was a burial place of the Kyivan rulers although the cathedral's putative founder, Yaroslav I the Wise, is the only royal grave to survive.

After the pillaging of Kyiv by Andrei Bogolyubsky of Vladimir-Suzdal in 1169, and then the Mongolian Tatars in 1240, the cathedral fell into disrepair. It was also greatly damaged in the 16th century when the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was trying to unite the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. During this period the cathedral was almost ruined: its roof had decayed and many wall paintings had gone. Following the 1595-96 Union of Brest, the Cathedral of Holy Sophia belonged to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church until it was claimed by the Moldavian Orthodox metropolitan Peter Mogila (Mohyla) in 1633. Mogila commissioned the repair work and the upper part of the building was thoroughly rebuilt, modeled by the Italian architect Octaviano Mancini in the distinct Ukrainian Baroque style, while preserving the Byzantine interior, keeping its splendour intact. The work continued under the Cossack Hetman Ivan Mazepa until 1707. During this period the bell tower was built along with many monastery facilities, all in the Ukrainian Baroque style.

During the Soviet anti-religious campaign of the 1920s, the Soviet government planned for the cathedral's destruction and transformation into a military memorial park. The cathedral was saved from destruction primarily thanks to the efforts of many scientists and historians. Nevertheless, in 1934, Soviet authorities confiscated the structure from the Church and converted it into a museum complex. 

Since the late 1980s Soviet, and later Ukrainian, politicians have promised to return the building to the Orthodox Church. Due to various schisms, and factions within the Church the return was postponed as all of Ukraine’s main Orthodox denominations as well as the Greek Catholic Church lay claim to it. Although all of the Orthodox churches have been allowed to conduct services at different dates, at other times they are denied access. A severe incident was the funeral of Patriarch Volodymyr of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kyiv Patriarchate in 1995 when riot police were forced to prevent the burial on the premises of the museum and a bloody clash took place. After events such as those no religious body has yet been given the rights for regular services. The complex now remains a secular museum of Ukraine's Christianity, with most of its visitors being tourists.

This description incorporates text from the English Wikipedia.

Taken in: Ukraine / Kyiv City / Kyiv (show map)

Taken on: August 9, 2017

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钟楼 « less

Sets appears in: • Summer Holiday 2017: From Finland to Ukraine

Groups appears in: • Domes in Architecture • Ukraine more » • Kyiv - capital of Ukraine • National Geographic | World Wide • Orthodox Church Architecture • Travel - Around the World • Nikon Europe Group « less

Camera: Nikon D750, f/4.0, 1/2500 sec, 24mm, ISO 640 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon D750
Lens:	24.0-120.0 mm f/4.0
Aperture:	f/4.0
Exposure Time:	1/2500 sec
Focal Length:	24mm
ISO:	640
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Aperture-priority AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Spot
White Balance:	Auto
Gain Control:	Low gain up
Sharpness:	Hard
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 6.0 (Windows)
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