Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kiev

Adress of the sight: 24 Vladimirskaya Str., Kiev, Ukraine.

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Saint Sophia Cathedral is the temple constructed in the XI century in the Kiev center by order of Yaroslav the Wise. At a turn of the XVII-XVIII centuries it was externally reconstructed in the Ukrainian baroque style. In a cathedral there are some original frescos and mosaics, including the well-known mosaic of the Mother of God Oranta.

The Sofia cathedral became the first on the territory of Ukraine, which entered in the list of the World heritage of UNESCO, an architecture monument.

As the cathedral building is a part of the National architectural and historical park named «Sophia Museum» and it enters in the list of the World heritage of UNESCO, it is banned to be transferred to any religious organization and to provide in it any church services. The exception makes the day on the 24th of August , which is the Ukrainian Independence Day, when the representatives of the religious organizations make a prayer about Ukraine (it started since 2005); On November 22, 2006 the Sacred Synod of the Ukrainian orthodox church (The Moscow patriarchy) declared impossibility for itself to participate in such actions.

The House of the métropolite and The Gate of Zaborovsky belong to the ensemble of the Sofia cathedral.

Different chronicles (created after time of cathedral  construction) call date of a cathedral founding aproximately the year 1017 or 1037. So, in «The story of temporary years» is narrated about a foundation in 1037 several constructions at once: Golden Gates, Sacred George’s monastery, Sacred Irina’s church and the Sophia cathedral. Later the first Novgorod chronicle points the year 1017 as foundation date. Some researchers suggest that in 1017 the wooden temple was founded, and in twenty years the stone one. Considering a political situation in Russia, the second date is closer to truth. At the beginning of 2010 employees of a museum declared that «on the basis of numerous ancient inscriptions on  the walls and church tradition» they came to the conclusion that the cathedral was based on November 4, 1011, during the Saint Vladimir  reigning; this version is challenged.