Mosaics and frescoes of Sophia of Kiev: description, photo

St. Sophia of Kiev is a unique cultural monument that has several names. It is called the cathedral of St. Sophia, the Sofia Museum or the National Reserve. But no matter how its name sounds, this place remains a unique monument of architecture of Ancient Rus and Byzantium.

The museum is famous for its frescoes and mosaics. The frescoes of Sophia of Kiev adorn 3000 sq. M. On 260 square meters an impressive mosaic is collected. Sofia Kiev for the Old Russian state was not only an ecclesiastical building, but also a public building.

History of creation

Almost nothing is known about the time of the monument's construction. However, the "Tale of Bygone Years" mentions 1037th as the year of construction of the Hagia Sophia. At this time Yaroslav the Wise ruled. Some sources claim that the foundation of the church was laid back in 1017 during the reign of Vladimir I Svyatoslavovich. Most scholars still tend to believe that it was in 1037 that the construction of the monument was started. Surprisingly, the frescoes of Sophia of Kiev have preserved their pristine value to our time.

The chronicles say that the year 1036 is connected with the finding of Yaroslav the Wise in Novgorod Volynsky. At that time the news reached him that the offensive of the Pechenegs was preparing for Kiev. Yaroslav gathered allies from the inhabitants of Novgorod. Soon the battle took place, in which the king won and forced the Pechenegs to flee. In the name of this victory, the temple was laid in place of the battle.

From the Greek language Sofia is translated as "wise". Therefore, the temple of St. Sophia was considered a symbol of Christian wisdom and marked the victory of the Orthodox people over paganism. Sofia Kievskaya as a monument of spiritual culture and today is of special value.

Construction of the Cathedral

Specialists say that the construction of Sofia Kiev was handled by about 40 masters with numerous assistants. The monument was built for about 3 years, and a couple of more years went to accomplish the interior decoration. The construction of the temple was done by masters from Constantinople, whom Yaroslav the Wise specially invited. Originally the building of the cathedral was rectangular and surrounded by twelve pillars of a cross-shaped form. It was adorned with thirteen domes (today there are already 19), which symbolized 12 apostles and Jesus Christ. The main dome was erected in the center of the temple, four were above the altar, the rest were located in the western corners of the building.

At that time the cathedral had only two rows of galleries in the form of an open balcony, surrounding the building on three sides. The second floor was occupied by so-called chambers for the princely family and noble inhabitants of the city.

For the construction of the cathedral, granite blocks and a limestone solution with the addition of crushed brick were used. The facades of the building did not plaster. The roof was made of lead sheets, which covered the domes and vaults. The walls, pillars and arches of the St. Sophia Cathedral were adorned with magnificent paintings, covering 5000 square meters. Today, only 2000 square meters of frescos have been preserved in their original form.

Chronology of events

During the history of the Sophia Cathedral, the cathedral suffered many tests. It was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt, almost completely rebuilding. In 1240 the temple first underwent serious changes, just then the Mongol-Tatars attacked Kiev. Sofia Kievskaya (photos of the cathedral are presented in the article) was plundered and almost completely destroyed. The magnificence and riot of colors have died out for a while.

The complete restoration of the Sophia of Kiev monument took place under Metropolitan Petra Mogile, who founded the monastery at the temple. The cathedral had the former appearance, but the building itself required immediate reconstruction. In 1633-1647 the temple was partially restored. Renovated, replaced the roof, floors and installed a luxuriously decorated iconostasis in the Cathedral of Sofia Kiev. The photo, inside done, can convey only a small part of all beauty.

The year 1697 became fatal for the cathedral. The fire absorbed almost all the wooden buildings of the monastery. After that, a decision was made on a major restoration. At that time, the three-tiered St. Sophia belltower was erected. In 1852, the fourth tier was completed. The very building of the cathedral was also rebuilt, and it acquired characteristic features of the Ukrainian Baroque at that time.

In 1722-1730 on the territory of the monastery built a refectory and a bakery, in which the diocesan administration was then located.

In 1934 the building of the church was declared by the State Reserve of History and Architecture by the decision of the Soviet government.

The Soviet period breathed new life into the development of the monastery. It was at this time that restoration work was actively carried out, as a result of which the appearance of the temple and other structures of the complex were restored.

In 1990 Sophia Kievskaya was included by UNESCO in the list of world cultural buildings. In the same year, the council was awarded a certificate, which gave the right to self-government.

A unique architectural monument - Sofia Kievskaya. The description and history of its creation excites the imagination of even people far from religion.

7 facts about Sofia Kiev

1. The belltower of the cathedral was erected by the hetman Ivan Mazepa. Until now, there is a huge bell "Mazepa", which in 1705 poured master Afanasy Petrovich on commission and on the money of Ivan Mazepa. The bell is a real architectural masterpiece. It is decorated with an ornament and the hetman's coat of arms.
2. The cellars of the St. Sophia Cathedral kept a huge library of Yaroslav the Wise, which mystically disappeared somewhere. The only mention of it is kept by Nestor the Chronicler's The Tale of Bygone Years. Perhaps now it is hidden in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.
3. Sophia of Kiev keeps one of Oranta's rare mosaics. It shows the Mother of God with arms spread out, reading a prayer. Without a baby, it is almost never depicted. This majestic image is known as the "Unbreakable Wall".
4. The frescos of St. Sophia of Kiev are more religiously oriented. Basically, they depict prayers about pardoning people. One of the walls contains in itself the inscription of Prince Bryachislav with a request to pardon him, a sinful and wretched one.
5. In 2008 Sophia of Kiev again found her delicate silver Gate with images of saints. In the 1930s they were sent for remelting by the Soviet authorities. About 100 kg of silver was spent on their restoration.
6. The shrine is filled not only with prayers, here you can find inscriptions of secular nature.
7. During the construction of the temple in Kiev, there was a separate tax, according to which everyone who visited the city had to bring a few stones with them.

Of particular value are the murals of the Sophia of Kiev monument. Mosaics and frescoes are the main decoration of the cathedral.

Mosaic painting of Sophia of Kiev

This type of painting is the main element of the interior decoration of the cathedral. Colorful mosaic elements adorn the central dome and apse. On the other parts of the cathedral you can contemplate no less picturesque frescoes. In the world, many ancient paintings have been preserved, but it is the frescoes and mosaics of Sophia of Kiev that are considered to be genuine examples of monumental painting. They are preserved in their original form and have never been restored and supplemented. They were only cleared of dust, which gave them the original freshness and beauty.

The colors of the Sophia mosaics are so beautiful that sometimes it seems that the eye has never seen a more harmonious combination of so many colors, shades and shapes.

Experienced artists have here 35 shades of brown, 34 semitones of green, 23 shades of yellow, 21 shades of blue and 19 tones of red. The palette of the Sophia mosaics consists of 150 shades, this indicates that Kievan Rus was unsurpassed in the production of smalt.

A special sophistication and luxury gives the Sophia mosaics a golden background. It is with him that all the other shades are perfectly in harmony.

Mosaic "Christ the Pantocrator"

The base of the central dome is decorated with a huge medallion, in the center of which there is an image of "Christ the Pantocrator". The mosaic is executed according to all the rules of perception from a long distance. Initially, there were four images of archangels in the dome. Unfortunately, only one mosaic image that belongs to the XI century is partially preserved from them. The rest of the parts were painted in the 19th century.

On the central dome, there is also a mosaic figure of the Apostle Paul and Jesus Christ, representing the image of the Priest. The image of the Mother of God is half lost.

The sail of the podkupolnogo drum is decorated with the image of the evangelist Mark. On the cradle arches 30 mosaics were originally located, of which only 15 were preserved.

Mosaic "Mary-Oranta"

The vault of the main altar is decorated with a huge mosaic of Our Lady (Oranta) in prayerful condition. This image stands out from the entire interior painting. Its height is about 6 meters. The Mother of God stands on a jeweled platform with high arms raised. She is dressed in a blue tunic and covered with a long female veil with gold folds. Caught in red boots.

This figure is distinguished by its monumentality and special grandeur. Juicy colors are immediately evident. Under this image is a mosaic "Eucharist", symbolizing the scene of the Communion of the Apostles. Near the throne are archangels with fans. Also next is the figure of Jesus Christ. He gives to the apostles, solemnly approaching him from different directions, the sacrament in the form of bread and wine. The apostles are clothed in light suits, on Jesus there is a blue cloak and a purple tunic, adorned with gold. A special color saturation of the composition gives the throne a crimson color. The lower tier of the vault is decorated with images of saints and archdeacons.

Sophia of Kiev: frescoes

Frescos are decorated with all the side parts of the cathedral, also they can be seen on the towers, choirs and galleries. The original images were partially renewed during the restoration in the 17th century. At the end of the XVII century the damaged frescoes of Sophia of Kiev were completely restored. Partially new images were painted with oil paints. Oil painting at that time did not represent artistic value, but its subjects were completely repeating the murals of ancient frescoes.

In the XIX century, capital restoration works were carried out, as a result of which all layers from the ancient frescoes were cleared. In some places to preserve the original ensemble had to put some images.

The fresco system of Sophia of Kiev includes images of numerous ornaments, scenes, figures of saints in full growth and half-figures.

Fresco "Yaroslav the Wise Family"

This image is especially interesting at the Sophia of Kiev monument. Frescos occupy the northern, western and southern sides of the main nave. Surprisingly, the central part of this composition has not survived to our days, it can be learned from the work of the Dutch artist Abraham Van Westerfeld, who visited Kiev in 1651.

At the mosaic, Yaroslav the Wise holds in his hands the model of Sophia of Kiev, next to his wife Princess Irina. They are sent to Jesus Christ, who is depicted with Prince Vladimir and Olga, the founders of Christianity in Ancient Rus. Behind the prince's couple are their children, also heading towards Christ. This huge composition is only partially preserved. Today you can see only two figures on the north side and four on the south wall.

Sarcophagus of Prince Yaroslav

The eastern part of the galleries of Sophia of Kiev was occupied by the tomb of the prince. It contained the burials of the entire princely family. Today you can see only the sarcophagus of Yaroslav the Wise, which occupies part of the altar room of the northern gallery. This is a rectangular box with a lid on the sides. Everything is decorated with images of plants, birds, crosses and other symbols of ancient Christianity. The tomb weighs about 6 tons. The marble sarcophagus was brought from Byzantium.

In 1939, the tomb was opened, and the scientists found there skeletons of a man and a woman whose bones mixed. This fact, as well as the absence of traces of clothing in the sarcophagus, is a direct evidence of robbery.

It was proved that the male skeleton belonged to Yaroslav the Wise, and the female - to his wife Irina. The skull of Yaroslav the Wise served as a model for creating a sculptural portrait of the prince, who is now located in the northern part of the cathedral. In September 2009, the sarcophagus was reopened for research. After that, rumors spread that there is no guarantee that the remains of bones belong to Yaroslav the Wise.

Every inhabitant and guest of the city of Kiev can see the beauty and grandeur of the Sophia of Kiev monument. How to get to the main temple of Kievan Rus? The shrine is located at: ul. Vladimirskaya, 24.

It is also home to the famous St. Sophia Square, where all sorts of events, not only of a religious nature, but also of a socio-economic and political purpose, have been held for a long time. Here, they arranged meetings and organized fairs. Today the square is decorated with the monument of Bogdan Khmelnitsky.