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Kiev travel guide
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SIGHTS: Saint Mickael cathedral Monument to Bogdan Khmelnitsky
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Address: Trehsvyatetelskaya street, 6 How to get: How to get: go to the metro station Maydan Nezalezhnosti, go downwards Mihaylovsky street till Vladimirsky passage and turn to the right; or go to the metro station Pochtovaya square, go along Vladimirsky spusk till European square, turn to Trehsvyatetelskaya street
First documentary record of St. Michael’s cathedral occurs in annals, where it is said that prince Svyatopolk Izyaslavich, Yaroslav the Wise grandson, laid a new stone temple in honour of Archangel Michael near the Dmitrievsky monastery and St. Peter's church on July, 11th, 1108. Presumably the Dmitrievsky monastery was constructed by Svyatopolk’s father, Izyaslav (christened as Dmitry). It was a small wooden church at a monastery till 1093. Monastery creation is attributed to first Kiev metropolitan Michael. The monastery foundation date is probably year 988. Just after Svyatopolk II Izyaslavich ascended the throne, the wooden church was replaced by the stone one. St. Michel’s cathedral is also cold “zlatoverhy” that means “with the roofs of gold”, because it was a unique church in Kiev with a gilt dome in that time. St. Michel’s cathedral was decorated by marble, mosaic, here there were precious icons. In 1103 hallows of St. Great martyr Varvara were transferred to Kiev from Constantinople (Tsargrad), and then were passed to St. Michel’s monastery and became its main relic. Before the destruction of the monastery under Soviet rule, the hallows were passed to Vladimirsky cathedral, where they are still situated. Prince Svyatopolk was buried in the erected by him cathedral after his death in April 16, 1114.
St. Michel’s cathedral was damaged during Tatar invasion in 1240, it was plundered and partially destroyed by khan Batiy horde. As centuries passed, St. Michel’s monastery territory extended. Most important changes happened throughout the 17-18 centuries. Major contribution to development and improvement of St. Michel’s monastery in Kiev was made by Ukrainian hetmans. In 1718 Bogdan Khmelnitsky renewed the gilding of the temple central dome for his own means, hetman Skoropadsky made new iconostasis, Ivan Mazepa donated a church chandelier and silver box for the hallows of St. Varvara to the monastery. After Ukraine and Muscovy unification St. Michel’s monastery lost a considerable part of its estate that remained at Rech Pospolitoya territory. In exchange, the monastery got a vast plot located at Left-bank Ukraine. St. Michel’s monastery estate extended not only for expense of merciful hetmans and Cossack foremen donations, but also by purchase for monastery own means. In the beginning of 17 century, reconstruction of the cathedral was carried, in result of which, the cathedral building almost split in two. In 1746, at the next stage of St. Michel’s cathedral life, number of domes was increased up to seven. In spite of the fact that in 1800 St. Michel’s Monastery in Kiev became a vicars residence, the building stayed in a deplorable condition. In this connection, throughout the whole 19 century active works were carried to repair the monastery buildings and brining the temple to "a magnificent kind". At that time, each large monastery had rooms for pilgrims accommodation, so-called hospices. They were forerunners of ourday hotels. St. Michel’s monastery had several small wooden guest houses too. After 1847, under the direction of father superior Right Reverend Apolinary, the two-storey wooden hotel was built, and means for a stone building were collected also. When Right Reverend Apolinary was the monastery father superior, domes of the church refectory were gilt for the first time. Repair of the central temple cost 30 thousand rubles. Part of expenses was born by the monastery, but the basic share was made by donations. St. Michel’s Zlatoverhy cathedral got special popularity thanks to its fine frescos and mosaics. Art critics agree that it was the new stage in church painting development in Old Russia. Mosaics of St. Michel’s cathedral are called "flickering". Kievo-Pechersky monastery’s monk Alimpy, whose craftsman ship is legendary, is considered to be a founder of this new painting school. Some walls were covered by graffiti – scribbled inscriptions similar to the graffiti of Sofia cathedral. When Soviet rule came to Ukraine, St. Michel’s monastery property was nationalized in 1919, and in 1935 the monastery destruction began. Part of frescos and mosaic fragments, fortunately, escaped - they were removed by scientists before destruction of the historical monument. On August, 17th, 1937 St. Michel’s Zlatoverhy cathedral was blown up. Till its restoration valuable remains of the temple appearance were exhibited at Tretyakov gallery in Moscow, at Hermitage and Russian museum of St.-Petersburg.
In the end of 20 century, there was a grandiose and laborious work for restoration of St. Michel’s cathedral. Historians, artists, sculptors, woodcarvers had to study ancient techniques. Architects, engineers and designers also made their contribution to reconstruction of the historical monument. Restoration of St. Michel’s cathedral was finished in 1998, and official opening was on May, 30th, 1999. In the spring of 2000, central part of St. Michel’s Zlatoverhy cathedral was opened for visitors and divine services, and since the beginning of the year 2001 Varvarinsky and Ekaterina's side-altars were opened too. Ministry of culture of Russia passed the original fragments of monastery furniture, stored in Russian museums, to Ministry of culture of Ukraine, and since July, 15th, 2008 frescos and mosaics were exposed in newly-built St. Michel’s cathedral.
There was a unique keyboard-bell instrument– karil’on, established at the belltower of St. Michel’s Zlatoverhy cathedral. A specially trained musician can play the melodies of very different complexity on karil’on. At the territory adjoining to St. Michel’s cathedral, Kiev seminaries UPTS KP are settled down.
| Historical reference: 1108 –beginning of building of St. Michel’s cathedral 1113 - consecration of St. Michel’s cathedral 1240 – St. Michel’s monastery is plundered and partially destroyed by hordes of khan Batiy 1713-Ioaniky Senutovich builds the stone church in the name of St. John the Divine 1716 – Father Superior Varlaam (Lenetsky) begins building of the stone belltower 1746 - number of St. Michel’s cathedral domes increases up to seven 1786 - the monastery passes to the state treasury maintenance 1880 - St. Michel’s monastery becomes an accommodation place for Kiev vicars 1937 – St. Michel’s cathedral is blown up 1998 – restoration works are finished 1999 – official opening date of St. Michel’s cathedral 2000 - central part of St. Michel’s cathedral is opened for divine services and visiting 2001 - Varvarinsky and Ekaterina's side-altars are opened 2001 - Ministry of culture of the Russian Federation passes the original fragments of frescos of St. Michel’s cathedral and other exhibits to Ministry of culture of Ukraine 2008 - returned frescos are exposed in St. Michel’s cathedral
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