Hagia Sophia in Kiev: the history and interesting facts

Hagia Sophia in Kiev in recent years not only the center of worship of believers, but also a museum for tourists and travelers. And today the site of our site will describe all the beauty of the magnificent St. Sophia Cathedral in the capital of Ukraine.

The chronicles say that Prince Yaroslav the Wise ordered to lay a temple on the site of the victory over the Pechenegs. And in the early 11th century, the construction of a beautiful cathedral in Kiev. By the way, in the ancient sources referred to the different dates of construction: in 1017 alone, in the other in 1037.

Massive construction

External structure fascinates the amount of facilities. Initially the cathedral was 13 domes, which added two more six centuries later.

Symbolically the number of chapters: the highest tells the believers of the Savior, the other 12 - on his disciples-apostles, 4 of which - the preachers of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Since it was built in the hope that the church will be the most important in Russia, something similar anywhere in the world to find. It is believed that the prince wanted this temple and its entire architecture to here held festive and solemn worship. In ancient times such grand buildings was not. At the end of the 16th century reconstruction of the building and it has acquired the Baroque style was made, with Ukrainian.

Punch inner beauty

The interior decoration is impressive with its unique beauty: has survived a mosaic, in which you can distinguish more than 170 shades of color.

The most famous - "inviolable wall" - depicting the Communion of the Apostles. The interior is well kept and the frescoes of the cathedral, in which Christ and the Virgin Mary, the Apostles, St. George, many saints. Inside the temple are many graves, the main of which sarcophagus of Yaroslav the Wise and his wife.

It is unfortunate that in the entire history of its existence, the St. Sophia Cathedral was sacked conquerors. Horde of Batu Khan in the 13th century destroyed most of the walls, and carried all the precious utensils. After a couple of centuries, the remains of frescoes of saints endured the Crimean Tatars, killed Metropolitan Macarius.

The present appearance of

In the middle of the 17th century the church began to restore, managing work was summoned from Italy architect Octaviano Mancini, author of many fine buildings of the time.

How does the cathedral nowadays? Inside, new galleries, and over the external overbuilt the second floor. They built a dome 6, as previously mentioned, and all of them: the old and new steel pear-shaped - a purely Ukrainian style. Near a tall chetyrohyarusnaya bell tower height of 76 meters. There are multiple bells, the huge "Raphael" weighing 13 tons. Also close by is built a two-storey palace - Metropolitan House, and each new owner build on and something to complement the building.

Who built new buildings and became the second "father" of St. Sophia Cathedral? Hetman Ivan Mazepa began to actively build new churches in Ukraine and restore dilapidated.

Museum of the Holy Temple

In the early 20th century, the cathedral was closed for regular worship (only on major holy days), and even in a few years it opened the State Reserve, which began to be visited by tourists. In the image layout shown all structures Temple St. Sophia.

Interesting fact: in 2012, scientists decided that the founder of the temple can not be Prince Yaroslav, that a building is constructed almost 30 years before - it is encrypted in the inscriptions on the walls, and the bones in the sarcophagus are not men and women... So does this while it is not proven.

Pictures and description of Saint Sophia Cathedral, shown in the article - it's beautiful, but to see with their own eyes and touch the ancient shrines much better. Be sure to visit the beautiful building of our ancestors - the need to know their history to everyone!

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