Sophia

St. Sophia Cathedral, founded by order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise on the site of victory in the battle with the Pechenegs. The name of the cathedral was chosen in honor of the temple of the same name in Constantinople and therefore its interior decoration and appearance should not be inferior to the original. At that time it was the most grandiose and majestic building in the city.

Until now, we managed to preserve the true beauty of the cathedral, created in the IX century. The Cathedral of Sofia of Kiev belongs to one of the most important monuments of history and culture. This is the first historical monument in Ukraine, included in the list of specially protected UNESCO World Heritage Sites. There are almost no such structures in the world. Although the exterior of the cathedral has undergone several changes, the interior decoration remains completely original.

The main value of the cathedral is its unique mosaics by Byzantine masters. The most famous of them is the six-meter Mother of God Oranta.

St. Sophia Cathedral is the burial place of the Kiev princes, but only the remains of Yaroslav the Wise and his wife, resting in a carved sarcophagus inside the temple, have survived to this day.