KIEV – THE CAPITAL OF UKRAINE

The labyrinths of the Close and Far Caves are a complicated system of underpasses (6.56-8.20 feet high and 3.28-4.92 feet wide), dug by monks. They were at first used as monks’ cells; then hermits, elderly monks, godly conventuals, and renowned church members were buried there. Each labyrinth of caves has three underground churches, in which church services are held to this day. In the walls of the corridors one can see windows of cells where elderly monks secluded themselves to live an ascetic life. The length of the Close Caves is 1 256.56 feet, while the depth is from 16.40 ft to 65.62 ft. They are also called Antoniy’s caves, since the relics of Saint protopope Antoniy are kept there. The underground churches are that of Saint protopope Antoniy, that of the Presentation of the Theotokos and that of Saint protopope Varlaam. Among those buried here are chronicler Nestor, the probable author of the Russian Primary Chronicle, Simon and Policarp, authors of Kiev Pechersk Patericon, icon painter Alipiy, physician Agapit and legendary bogatyr Ilya Muromets. A legend has it that he was brought into the cave by angels after a lethal injury. Altogether there are seventy-nine depositions. The length of the Far Caves is 961.29 feet. They are also called Feodosy’s Caves because the relics of Saint protopope Feodosy were kept there until 1091. The underground churches are that of Saint protopope Feodosy, that of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin and Birth of Christ. Among those buried here are Pechersk Gate-Keeper Login, Miracle Doer Moses, Novgorod archbishop Theophil and recently brought relics of Kiev metropolitans Filaret (Amphitheatrov) and Vladimir (Bogoyavlensky). Altogether there are 46 depositions here.

The Sofia Cathedral is an outstanding monument of old Russian architecture. It is the main temple of Kiev metropolitans. It was founded in 1037 and was then rebuilt many times. The Cathedral obtained its today’s appearance in the style of Ukrainian Baroque after reconstruction in the end of XVII century. The temple is crowned by 15 domes, most of which are of later origin. The inner furnishing has remained almost unchanged. The most precious items of the Cathedral are frescoes of XI century depicting the saints, portraits of Prince’s family, scenes of the Prince’s hunt and dancing court jesters. At the time of Kiev Russ the Sofia Cathedral served as the shrine of the Princes. The founder of the Temple Great Kiev Prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich, a son of legendary Baptizer of Russ Vladimir I, the Beautiful Sun. His wife, Princess Irina, is also buried here. Other tombs (over one hundred) including that of Vladimir Monomakh are lost. The Sofia Cathedral is a part of a museum, which is the only museum on the territory of the former USSR that received UNESCO’s Gold Medal. The National Museum “Kiev’s Sofia” together with Kiev Pechersk Lavra are included into UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

The Golden Gates is another monument of Yaroslav the Wise’s time. Kiev dwellers joke that the name of the gates is “much better than their looks.” They were erected in 1017-1024 and were part of the fortress wall as well as the main entrance into Kiev. Despite their military designation they are of high art value. The height of the remaining walls reaches up to 31.17 feet, width – 21 feet. Pilasters are protruding into the entrance; in ancient times they supported the arches of the dome reaching 26.25, 36.09 and 42.65 feet high. There is a small church above the gates. A monument to Yaroslav the Wise was built west of the gates in 1997. The prince is holding a model of the Sofia temple in his hands.

The Andrew’s Church was founded in 1744 in relation to Yelizaveta I coming to Kiev. There are many legends related to its construction. According to one, on the site where the Dnepr flows today there once was a sea. When the saint apostle Andrew came to Kiev, he spent a night on the mountain where Andrew’s Church stands now. In the morning he set up a cross and the sea retreated but a certain part of water remained and hid underneath the Andrew’s Mountain. When the temple was built a well opened up under the throne. According to another legend, it is not without a reason that there are no bells in the Andrew’s Church, since at the very first strike water can wake up and flood not only the entire city but also the whole land of the Left Bank Ukraine. This church is a pearl of Baroque. The design was made by V. V. Rastrelli. The temple has one dome and five cupolas and is built in the form of a cross, in the corners of which there are decorative towers on massive pillars. The inner furnishing of the temple is close to the Rococo Style.

Near the Andrew’s Church there’s a cult street for tourists, “Kiev’s Montmartre,” steep Andrew’s Descent. It became popular in 1980s because of an interest to old build-up and removal of a ban on Mikhail Bulgakov’s works, whose house is standing on that street. The main part of the build-up appeared in the end of XIX-beginning of XX centuries. House 15 with a castellated tower is known as the “Castle of Richard the Lion Heart” but actually belonged to contractor Orlov. Mikhail Bulgakov lived in house 13. His family occupied a flat on the second floor. This house is depicted in his novel “The White Guard” and his play “The Days of the Turbins”, while the whole descent is called in these works “Alexey’s Descent.” On the façade there is a memorial plate with the writer’s portrait. The façade of the next building 11 is ornamented with big cat Behemoth in a necktie sitting casually with a glass of vodka in one paw and a fork with a pickled mushroom in the other paw. In house 26 there is a wonderful museum of one street with an exposition dedicated to Kiev and Andrew’s Descent of the end of XIX-beginning of XX centuries.

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