The cathedral is one of the city's best known landmarks and the first heritage site in Ukraine to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The cathedral is surrounded by a monastery complex and protected by a high wall.
As typical in Eastern Europe the entrance is guarded by the very tall Bell Tower.
On Sofiyivska Square, just in front of the tower, stands the tallest Christmas tree in Kyiv.
But on that square you can admire a much more important statue - the monument of the famous horse of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, who was the Hetman of the Zaporozhian Host. He led an uprising against the Commonwealth and its magnates (1648–1654) that resulted in the creation of a state led by the Cossacks of Ukraine, which was the only Ukrainian state between the time of Kievan Rus' and the twentieth century.
Just two hundred metres further down the Volodymirskyi Passage there is a monument of Princess Olga, the first known female ruler of the country, with educators St. Cyril and St. Methodius at her right hand and apostle St. Andrew at the left one. Olga was Princess of Kiev and wife of Prince Igor. Being a wise and educated woman she did her best to strengthen the influence of Kievan princedom, and expanding its territories as well as in defending it from the attacks of enemy tribes. She was one of first persons in Kievan Rus who was christened (in Constantinople, in 955) and that is likely be one of the reasons why her grandson Vladimir has chosen Christianity as a state religion fourty years later. Russian Orthodox church ranked her as a saint.
The bulding with pillars just right from St. Cyril & Methodius is the seat of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreigh Affairs.
Here you can admire the full view of the Vladymirskyi Passage with the Saint Sophia Cathedral at its end.
Just behind us there is another magnificient bell tower. This one leads to the Saint Michael monastery.
Behind the walls you will find a nice chappe, as well as ...
... a very impressive Monastery with several golden domes.
Just outside the monastery wall you will notice a monument devoted to one of the biggest tragedies of th etwentieth century. Probably also one that is the least know. The Holodomor was a genocide of the same size as the Holocaust and also was targeted againt one nation.
Next week we will see the witness of another great Ukrainian tragedy, but this time it changed the country for much better.
Great blogg post
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