St Volodymyr's Cathedral
| St Volodymyr's Cathedral | |
|---|---|
Front view of St Volodymyr's Cathedral
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| Basic information | |
| Location | Kiev, Ukraine |
| Geographic coordinates | 50°26′41″N 30°30′32″E / 50.44472°N 30.50889°ECoordinates: 50°26′41″N 30°30′32″E / 50.44472°N 30.50889°E |
| Affiliation | Ukrainian Orthodox Church |
| Rite | Kiev Patriarchy |
| Status | Active |
| Architectural description | |
| Architect(s) | Alexander Vikentievich Beretti |
| Architectural type | cathedral |
| Architectural style | neo-Byzantine style |
| Specifications | |
| Dome(s) | seven |
| Dome height (outer) | 49 m (161 ft) |
| Materials | Brick |
St Volodymyr's Cathedral (Ukrainian: Патріарший кафедральний собор св. Володимира, Patriarshyi kafedralnyi sobor sv. Volodymyra) is a cathedral in the centre of Kiev. It is one of the city's major landmarks and the mother cathedral of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kiev Patriarchy, one of two major Ukrainian Orthodox Churches.
In 1852, Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow suggested a large cathedral should be built in Kiev to commemorate the 900th anniversary of the baptism of Kievan Rus' by prince Vladimir I of Kiev (St. Volodymyr). People from all over the Russian Empire started donating to this cause, so that by 1859 the cathedral fund had amassed a huge sum of 100,000 rubles. The Kiev Pechersk Lavra (Monastery of the Caves) produced one million bricks and presented them to the cathedral as well. The design was executed in neo-Byzantine style initially by the architects I. Schtrom, P. Sparro, R. Bemhardt, K. Mayevsky, V. Nikolayev. The final version of the design belongs to Alexander Vikentievich Beretti. It is a traditional six-piered, three-apsed temple crowned by seven cupolas. The height to the cross of the main dome is 49 m (161 ft).
The colourful interior of the cathedral is particularly striking. Its mosaics were executed by masters from Venice. The frescoes were created under the guidance of Professor Adrian Prakhov by a group of famous painters: Wilhelm Kotarbiński, Mikhail Nesterov, Mykola Pymonenko, Pavel Svedomsky, Viktor Vasnetsov, Mikhail Vrubel, Viktor Zamyraylo (1868-1939), and others. The painting of the Holy Mother of God by Vasnetsov in the altar apse of the cathedral impresses by its austere beauty.
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