Today was a lot of walking, but Mom and I visited some great historic sites in Kyiv. I had yet to visit either the St Sophia’s Cathedral or St Michael’s Monastery, so it was fun to discover these places together.
St Sophia’s Cathedral is the oldest standing church in Kyiv and now a museum. The church’s Byzantine architecture is incredible. At one time this place was the center of learning and culture in Kyiv, housing the first school and library.
Due to the fact that St Sophia’s is now a museum, there are many placards in English. This was very helpful for us. My Russian may be improving, but trying to translate placards for my mom would be impossible.
The bell tower is built in a wedding cake style and offers some stunning views of Kyiv from three different heights.
The church and grounds are now a UNESCO Heritage Site and offer some incredible viewing and insight for visitors from all over the world.
Also within the grounds of the cathedral are several buildings. There is a seminary, a refectory, the bell tower, the house of the metropolitan and the southern entrance tower.
Here is a very old heater that has been rebuilt. There was one in each room of the house of metropolitan.
The frescoes have been preserved as much as possible, but you can see where the frescoes have come off from the plaster over time.
A conference or dinner room of sorts in the upstairs area of the house of metropolitan.
More interiors of the house of metropolitan.
This is the view from the first level of the bell tower.
Getting higher…second level!!!
And we have arrived. These are from the top level of the bell tower. I do not do so well with heights, but the views were well worth the fear. It was an amazing site. And I am so thankful for a clear day. I do not think I will be doing that again.
This is one of my favorites. I wish I had a wide angle lens, but the light was fantastic in this one moment. You can see St Michael’s in the almost foreground and Kyiv on the east side of the Dnipro River in the background. And right along with the hustle and bustle of a big city. Kyiv is quite fantastic.
St Michael’s Monastery is named after Kyiv’s patron saint. The original building (bulit 1108) was destroyed in 1937 by Soviets and rebuilt in 2001.
The monastery is very beautiful with its Ukrainian architecture and classic gold domes. The refectory with the wood roof was not destroyed with the monastery.
Lovely Ukrainian architecture.
This window is distinctly Ukrainian. It is quite beautiful with all the colors.
The bell tower and entrance to the grounds of St Michael’s.
St Michael’s Monastery
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs. These are the people who approve my visa and issue me my pink card that allows me to freely travel within the country. Massive building!!!
Mom and I walked in Askoldova Mohyla Park behind St Michael’s as we wandered back to our apartment. New bridge going in across the Dnipro River.
A view of St Michael’s from the backside in the park. Mom noticed this adorable bird house painted in true Ukrainian style.
A view of the Dnipro River looking north.
And fall has arrived in Kyiv. The parks and streets look lovely this time of year. The city seems made for late afternoon strolls. Shortly there will be snow on the ground and winter will begin in earnest, but for now we are enjoying a pleasant slide into the cold weather with a beautiful fall.
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