At the bidding of Catherine the Great, Rastrelli, the Italian architect famous not least for the Winter Palace in St Petersburg, built this church in honour of Kiev’s most famous saint. Quite what he did wrong, I can’t imagine, but upon seeing the finished article she sacked him. Most visitors however seem to regard this as one of Kiev’s finest sights though inside it’s a museum, not a working church any longer.

Andreyevsky Spusk

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

St Sophia’s is a popular attraction in Kiev, especially to native visitors as it was built in 1037 by Prince Yaroslav, one of Kiev’s most celebrated leaders. The remains of the prince lie in the main church which is no longer used for religious purposes, the whole site now being a museum complex. The church also houses some very impressive and beautiful frescoes and mosaics, some of which are still in the process of being uncovered from behind subsequent layers of plaster. It’s an opportunity to have a good poke around a historic orthodox church without fear of being interrupted by a service.

Sofiyska Square

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

If you can possibly arrange it, approach this church from around the corner on a sunny autumn morning, so that your first sight of it is full and glorious. Being mainly almost powder blue and with sparkling golden domes, it’s one of those sights that makes people produce noises usually reserved for firework displays. As you go through the entrance archway the blueness just keeps coming at you until you enter the church which is somewhat more conventional, in a Ukrainian Orthodox way. It was only rebuilt in 2001 after the ravages of the Stalin era, but you’d never know. Truly a feast for the eyes.

Mikhayilovska Square

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends