AncienT MosAics of Kyiv

Возводили собор константинопольские мастера. Об этом
свидетельствуют византийские строительные и художественные
приемы. Но работы нельзя было осуществить
только силами приезжих, поэтому привлекли и русских мастеров.
Прямых аналогов Софийскому храму нет ни в Константинополе,
ни в других византийских городах: киевскому
собору суждено было стать главным храмом Руси.
Приехавшим в Киев константинопольским мастерам надлежало
возвести огромный храм с большими хорами для проведения
торжественных церемоний княжеского и епископского
дворов. Мраморные детали, украшавшие собор в древности,
были привезены князем Владимиром из Херсонеса. Полы выполнили
из местного сланца (красного шифера).
show scenes from the life of the Blessed Virgin, plus the Acts of the
Apostles, and scenes from the lives of St. Michael and St. George.
Considering the Byzantine construction and artistic methods
used, the cathedral was built by masters from Constantinople.
However, that city’s craftsmen alone could not have accomplished
such a vast amount of work by themselves; therefore many Ruthenian
craftsmen are also believed to have been engaged in the
work. In addition, no direct parallel to St. Sophia’s existed either
in Constantinople or elsewhere in the Byzantine Empire. It is
assumed the Kyivan cathedral was intended to become the main
Christian shrine of the Ruthenian lands.
The masters of Constantinople who came to Kyiv were tasked
with erecting a huge temple with a spacious
choir loft to host solemn religious
ceremonies led by members of the ducal
and episcopal courts. The marble parts
decorating the cathedral in ancient times
were brought by Prince Volodymyr from
the city of Chersonese in Crimea, while
the floors were paved using local slate.
The cathedral mainly consists of brickwork
and natural stone fixed together using
a special type of mortar solution. The
cathedral’s restorers have left several areas
of the ancient stonework uncovered for
visitors to understand how the cathedral
looked centuries ago. The architectural
plan of the cathedral is rich in symbolism:
the high central dome suggests Christ
as the head of the Church, while the 12
smaller domes are associated with the
Apostles, with the four largest dedicated
to the Evangelists. The exterior of the
cathedral was altered following restoration
works in the 17th and 18th centuries; external
galleries and additional domes (now
totalling 19) were built and the cathedral
painted white. The ancient hemispherical
domes were replaced with the pyriform
cupolas typical of Ukrainian baroque style.
premier
cities
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Собор был выложен из кирпича, в качестве связующего
раствора использовали розовую цемянку. Чтобы можно
было представить его прежний облик, на фасадах реставраторы
оставили участки раскрытой древней кладки.
Архитектурное решение собора имело свою символику.
Центральный высокий купол храма в византийской архитектуре
напоминал о Христе – главе
церкви. 12 меньших куполов ассоциировались
с апостолами, а четыре из
них – с евангелистами. После реставраций
XVII–XVIII веков облик собора
изменился: появились наружные
галереи, дополнительные купола
(сейчас их 19), храм побелили. Купола
Numerous pictures of saints adorn the
columns of the cathedral and the walls of
its galleries. An ancient fresco in the western
part of the central nave, still partially
visible today, shows portraits of Prince
Volodymyr as the founder of the cathedral
together with his wife, Princess Anna of Byzantium, plus their sons
and daughters. The frescoes also depict scenes from the life of the
princely court, including the horserace track in Constantinople,
musicians and a hunt. Scholars actively debate the musical instrument
depicted on one cathedral wall: some argue it is a picture of
an old pneumatic pipe organ as a part of an orchestra that played
during dance performances.
Nearly 100 tombs rest inside the cathedral and nearby, including
the white marble tomb of Prince Yaroslav the Wise. The cathedral
was razed by Golden Horde of Genghis Khan in 1240 but
was rebuilt under Metropolitan Cyprian over 1385-1390. Later,
though somewhat poorer, restorative works took place in the
centuries that followed. St. Sophia’s Cathedral was assumed by the
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Spring ‘11