St. Michael Golden Domed Cathedral

• Kyiv
• Private tour
• Religion tour
• Theme
• Tour
• Walking

In Soviet times the emblem of the city of Kiev wed to be a chestnut blower. Now it depicting Archangel Michael, its patron saint as it was long time ago. Kiev has three monasteries dedicated to its patron saint in Vydubichi, Zverinets and upper old city.

Saint Michael’s with the golden dome was built in 1113y. It’s title shows that it was unique at that time to have the dome plated with gold. St.Sophia’s and the churches of the Lavra got their golden domes only in the late XIX century. Originally, St. Sophia’s had domes covered with lead.

To see original mosaics and frescoes from St. Michael’s with the golden dome you need to go to St. Sophia’s in Kiev, Tretyakov gallery in Moscow and Russian museum in St. Petersburg where they have been kept since 1930-ies. Although some fresco ornaments were returned recently from Hermitage museum and you will see them in the museum in St. Michael’s Bell Tower. Mosaics and frescos had been removed from cathedral’s interior in 1930-ies before the cathedral got demolished. It was rebuilt in the year 2000 with new mosaics and murals.  Since St. Michael’s was enlarged in XVIII century as two chapels were added to it – St. Barbara’s and St. Catherine’s –  the interior today has murals in Byzantine and baroque styles. All four icon stands are baroque. They are made from pine and linden wood plated with gold. Byzantine style depicting patron saints of family life and monastic life.

Our tour will include visit to St. Michael’s with the golden dome (it had one dome initially and now it has 7 domes), refectory church of St. John Evangelist (unlike St. Michael’s it has survived Soviet times and is 300 years old, this church has a brick blow and white – color walls inside: its icons are decorated with Ukrainian style  ritual towels) and the cathedral’s museum.

The museum of St. Michael’s with golden dome is located in its Bell Tower. It has a few lovely scale models of St. Michael’s monastery, the silver shrine of St. Barbara (her relic is now kept in St.Vladimir’s Cathedral), one of the silver gates of St. Michael’s Cathedral (XVIII century), fragments of medieval mosaics and iron tiles of its XIX century’s floor. From the top level of the Bell Tower You will see beautiful buildings around including St.Sophia’s.

 HOT LINE PHONE (WatsApp, Signal, Viber): +380679050861 Alex

reservation: argotour@ukr.net