I honestly didn’t know what to expect of my day layover in Kiev, Ukraine other than cold. I thought I would see some cool churches, the site of protests from a few years ago, and the LDS temple in the suburbs. What my day in Kiev left me with was a desire to go back someday and experience more.
St. Sophia’s Cathedral
This thousand-year-old onion-domed church is magnificent! The outside is rather ordinary with white plaster walls and green roofs. I think the pre-plaster look of brick and stone was much more impressive, but as times changed so did the styles. The church has several domes with gold cupolas crowning it giving it that eastern Christian look.
The inside of this church is truly special. The walls and ceilings, pretty much every nook and cranny, are covered in frescoes, mosaics, and murals. Many of them originate to building of the church and are about 1,000 years old. Many of the newer ones are very early attempts to restore the older frescoes with oil paints. There is also a magnificent altar piece separating the sanctuary from the altar as is very common in an Eastern Orthodox church. Photography is not allowed inside, but small books and postcards can be purchased with pictures of the spectacular art.
All around the main building stand auxiliary buildings for the church. They were mostly built in the 18th century or later. This gives them a very different architectural style and feel. Other than the main cathedral, I would only recommend a climb up the Rococo style bell tower. We got the through tickets that also admit to some of the other buildings, but the exhibits in those buildings were in Ukrainian and kind of lackluster after spending time in the cathedral. I recommend the bell tower though because of the spectacular views it offers.
This UNESCO World Heritage site preserves some outstanding art and history. For anyone interested in religious art, St. Sophia’s Cathedral in Kiev should be on their list.
St. Andrew’s Cathedral
This church is just down the street from St. Sophia’s. Not as old, but still historic, St. Andrew’s is still an active cathedral. It is where Ukrainians go to pray and worship. The exterior is blue and white, and the interior is also covered with murals. However, the feeling is a little different inside this building.
St. Sophia’s is now a museum. Yes, I’m sure people pray and ponder there. I know I did, but it wasn’t the same as St. Andrew’s, which is a very active place. People were entering and exiting, lighting candles, praying, etc. The faith was palpable.
There are gardens around this church along with auxiliary buildings. The buildings are used by real priests for their work unlike the museum pieces at St. Sophia’s. Sculptures can be found on the grounds as well.
Independence Monument
Not too far from the cathedrals stands a tall pillar called Independence Monument. Although it has the look of an old European sculpture it is very young commemorating Ukraine’s independence in 1991. Sitting in the middle of Independence Square. This monument would look familiar to anyone paying attention to the protests in Kiev a few years ago. This was one of the main camps for the protesters.
We also ate lunch here at a restaurant that is directly under the monument. A cafeteria style eatery, the traditional Ukrainian food was delicious. It reminded both Aaron and I of our missions.
In between all of these places we wandered the streets of the city. I enjoyed the architecture and being reminded of my time in Hungary. I know they aren’t the same, but it is the closest I’ve been in more than ten years. The architecture and mix of styles is wonderful as it shows that the city has history. I also enjoyed the random street art we found along the way.
Kiev Ukraine Temple
The highlight of my layover in Kiev, the Kiev Ukraine Temple, was on the outskirts of town. This lovely building stands in an open space on the side of a highway. Unfortunately, the temple was closed for its annual deep cleaning, so we didn’t get to go inside. However, we wandered the grounds and spent an enjoyable few minutes in the snow-covered gardens.
I enjoyed the short time I had in Kiev and wouldn’t mind returning. Maybe then I’ll get to go in the temple too.
