Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv

성 소피아 대성당 (키이우)

Saint Sophia Cathedral is a historic church in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. It is a masterpiece of the Kyivan Rus' period, built in the 11th century during the reign of Yaroslav the Wise, and it is one of the city's best-known landmarks. Together with the Kyiv Cave Monastery, it was the first heritage site in Ukraine to be added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

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At a glance

Country: Ukraine
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Built: 11th c.; Baroque rebuild 1690–1707
Height: 76 m
Type: Religious building

Quick answers

Where is Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv?

Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv is in Kyiv, Ukraine.

How tall is Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv?

Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv is about 76 m tall.

An 11th-century cathedral of Kyivan Rus’ with 13 domes, a Ukrainian Baroque exterior and a tall bell tower.

Outside it has thirteen domes and a Ukrainian Baroque look that was added in later centuries. Inside, the walls are decorated with colourful mosaics and frescoes. Today the cathedral is a museum, and a tall bell tower stands beside it.

When was it built?

The most reliable source, the Primary Chronicle, says Yaroslav founded the church of St. Sophia in 1037, though some scholars think that date marks its completion. It may have been placed on the site where his army beat the nomadic Pechenegs in 1036. The name copies the great Hagia Sophia in Constantinople.

Because the evidence is limited and sometimes contradictory, the exact start and finish dates are still debated.

Why does it look Baroque outside?

Inside, the cathedral kept its Byzantine style, with five aisles and five apses. It was robbed in 1169 and ruined by the Mongol invasion in 1240.

Later the Italian architect Octaviano Mancini kept the old decoration inside and changed the outside into the Ukrainian Baroque style, work that was continued by the Cossack leader Ivan Mazepa. In the 1920s the Soviet government planned to tear it down but changed its mind.