When will it be possible to go to St. Andrew's Church? St. Andrew's Church - a masterpiece of Baroque architectural style
In this same article, let's look at Interesting Facts, which you may not have heard of yet.
- Decree on construction St. Andrew's Church was published by the Russian Empress Elizaveta Petrovna in 1744. Elizabeth laid the first three bricks into the foundation of the church with her own hands. Twenty thousand rubles were allocated from the treasury for the construction of the church. This was a huge amount at that time.
- At this very place where it is located, according to the Tale of Bygone Years, a cross was erected by the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called.
- Height St. Andrew's Church is 50 meters.
- built according to the design of the famous architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli in the Baroque style. The church is called "Swan Song of Bartolomeo Rastrelli".
- The main shrines of the church– part of the holy relics of St. Andrew the First-Called, brought from Italy and the Gospel in a precious setting – a gift from Emperor Alexander.
- In 1870, Emperor Alexander agreed on a plan to expand the Kyiv fortress.
According to this plan, fortifications were to be built on the Kyiv hills. During construction, many historical monuments would have been destroyed, including St. Andrew's Church.
And only thanks to Andrei Nikolaevich Muravyov, who was not afraid to challenge the decision of Emperor Alexander II, the Kyiv hills remained untouched.
A.N. Muravyov- Chamberlain of the Russian Imperial Court, Church historian, playwright, poet. He was an honorary member of the Imperial Academy of Sciences. A Muscovite by birth, after arriving in Kyiv he became a true Kievite at heart.
Andrei Nikolaevich Muravyov donated large amounts of money to St. Andrew's Church. Here, in the underground chapel of the Church of St. Andrew the First-Called, his body rests. There is a memorial plaque on the first floor of St. Andrew's stylobate.
- In 1869 she visited Kyiv, and in her retinue was Fedor Ivanovich Tyutchev, old friend of A.N. Muravyov.
Subsequently, Fyodor Tyutchev, impressed by the meeting with his friend, wrote a poem in which he was picturesquely depicted.
- It was spent on the construction of St. Andrew's Church 23 500 clay bricks, approx. 29 thousand pounds of nails and 20 sheets of gold.
- The church was struck by lightning three times. IN 1892 year, the destructive effects of the thunderstorm were impressive. The gilding was damaged, the chandelier in front of the altar was burned, and the plaster fell off. Lightning also nearly killed a church minister. That year it almost burned down.
- Here, in the basement building of St. Andrew's Church, was the residence of the famous legendary personality, the holy fool Ivan Bosogo (Ivan Rastorguev). This is the first holy fool in Kyiv who was involved in philanthropy. The alms he collected were enough to maintain a charity shelter, where he fed and received up to three hundred people every day, providing them with medical care and giving them clothes and shoes.
When Andrei taught in Sinop and arrived in Korsun, he learned that not far from Korsun there was the mouth of the Dnieper, and he wanted to go to Rome, and sailed to the mouth of the Dnieper, and from there he went up the Dnieper. And it so happened that he came and stood under the mountains on the shore. And in the morning he got up and said to the disciples who were with him: “Do you see these mountains? On these mountains the grace of God will shine, there will be a large city, and God will build many churches.” And going down to these mountains, he blessed them, and put up a cross, and prayed to God, and came down from this mountain, where Kiev would eventually be, and went up the Dnieper..." - so Nestor the Chronicler in his "Tale of Bygone Years" tells an interesting legend about the stay of the first of Christ's apostles on the land of Kiev. Whether this was true or not, history does not know, but the legend is interesting.
Back in XII-XIII, at the site of the apostle’s residence there were several churches, which for one reason or another disappeared almost without a trace. The last church, which had the name Holy Cross, burned down in 1677. In 1690, the first St. Andrew's Church appeared, which was wooden, but over time it itself falls apart. Since then, the so-called St. Andrew's Cross. In the mid-18th century, by order of Empress Elizabeth, construction of the St. Andrew's Church began. There were several projects for a new church, but preference was given to the Italian Bartolomeo Rastrelli. All work on Rastrelli’s project was carried out by the architect Ivan Michurin, who significantly complemented the Italian creator of masterpieces. It is interesting that construction did not begin for some time, as it encountered an unexpected obstacle - the priests did not at all want to remove the consecrated cross, which still stood on the mountain and put all sorts of obstacles in this act. But one way or another, in 1749 the temple began to be built.
St. Andrew's Church is often called the swan song of the outstanding master of Russian architecture Bartolomeo Rastrelli. It rises on one of the steep slopes of Starokievskaya Mountain on the site of the former bastion of the Starokievskaya fortress.
St. Andrew's Church was built by order of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. The design of the building was developed by B. Rastrelli in 1748, construction work was carried out in 1749-1754. under the leadership of the famous Moscow architect Ivan Michurin. Many specialists from St. Petersburg, Moscow, and Kyiv took part in the creation of the temple, so St. Andrew’s Church is a monument to the creative collaboration of Russian and Ukrainian masters.
During its history, the church was repaired many times. Already in the first years after construction was completed, it fell into disrepair, because after the death of Elizabeth Petrovna, the royal court ceased to be interested in Kyiv buildings. The consecration of the temple took place only in 1767. In the 19th century, the tops of the building were repaired several times, which led to a gross distortion of the original shape of the outline of the dome and the loss of its decor. The monument remained in this form until the 70s of the 20th century.
From 1917 to 1953, work was repeatedly carried out to strengthen the foundations of St. Andrew's Church and the hill on which it stands, to drain groundwater, repairs to the facades and interior were carried out, and conservation of paintings and carvings was carried out.
In 1970, by order of the Sofia Reserve, photocopies of Rastrelli's drawings of St. Andrew's Church stored there were obtained from the Albertina Museum in Vienna. Based on these drawings, Kyiv restorers (designed by architect V. Korneeva) in 1978 restored the original shape of the dome, and this wonderful monument of Russian and Ukrainian architecture appeared before the people of Kiev as it was designed by B. Rastrelli.
St. Andrew's Church is one of the most striking buildings of the Baroque style, which spread in Russian architecture and art at the end of the 17th - mid-18th centuries. Coming from the West, this style was influenced by local traditions and acquired unique national features.
Baroque buildings are characterized by pomp, showiness, picturesque and dynamic architectural forms, rich decor, bright contrasting colors of the walls, and an abundance of gilding. All these features are inherent in St. Andrew's Church.
To place the temple on the top of the hill, the builders erected a stylobate under it in the form of a two-story residential building adjacent to the cut of the steep slope. It is completed by a porch enclosed by a balustrade, where a wide cast-iron staircase leads from the street. St. Andrew's Church is a cruciform building in plan, elongated along the west-east axis. Its dimensions are 31 x 20 meters, height - 47 meters. The height of the stylobate (with foundations) is 15 meters. Inside, the church is covered with one large dome with a diameter of 10 meters. However, from the outside it is a five-domed temple: four decorative small domes are placed on buttresses placed diagonally across the building, which creates the effect of a traditional five-domed temple. The silhouette of the church is built on the contrast between the massive central dome and the graceful corner domes that direct the movement of the architectural masses upward. For the first time, stucco decoration and cast iron were combined in the design of the facades.
The building rests on stone pillar foundations, which were built by I.F. Michurin instead of the pile foundations provided for in the project. Due to the complex hydrogeological conditions of the site (bulk and subsidence soils, high level groundwater), he lays foundations of different depths: from the Dnieper side 13.9 and from the Andreevsky descent -12.9 m from the surface of the porch site, I.F. Michurin made changes to the engineering part of the project, replacing the wooden structures of the dome with brickwork and by building a wooden staircase instead of the entrance to the church (in 1844 the staircase was replaced with a cast iron one).
Throughout its history, the time when it performed its direct function can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Unfortunate location and, as a result, the threat of constant shifts - these are the reasons that put Andreevskaya on the verge of complete destruction. Already in 1787, after the death of Elizabeth, the temple fell into almost complete desolation. Only the intervention of the Russian Empress Catherine saved the church. In 1843, as a result of a strong shift, the church cracked. An immediate restoration was needed, which was done, although it lost some of Rastrelli’s elements. At the beginning of the 20th century, the temple again faced the same problems. Its complete restoration according to Rastrelli's drawings was carried out by Vladimir Nikolaev in 1900.
The exterior amazes with the richness of its decor. The walls of the building and the drums of the domes are dissected vertically by pilasters and columns of the Corinthian (first tier) and Ionic (second tier) orders. The base, walls and drums of the domes are completed with cornices of complex profile. The round windows (lucarnes) are framed by luxurious stucco ornaments; on the pediments there are cast-iron cartouches with the monogram of Empress Elizabeth.
The picturesqueness of the facades is enhanced by the bright colors: white columns, pilasters, cornices stand out against the turquoise background of the walls, cast-iron capitals and cartouches sparkle with gold, and gilded garlands snake along the edges of the dark green dome.
The same decorative principle is preserved in the interior, which is perceived as a single architectural volume. Here, too, the dissected planes of the walls are combined with rich gilded moldings framing the lucarne windows and decorating the dome. The main accent in the interior is the iconostasis. This is a three-tiered monumental structure with soft curvilinear outlines. Against the purple background, gilded pilasters, cornices and rich carved frames of icons of various sizes and complex contours stand out. The surface of the royal doors is covered with continuous lace carvings. Sculpture was introduced into the decor - heads of cherubs, figures of angels, a three-figure group "Crucifixion", completing the iconostasis.
B. Rastrelli supervised all interior design work. He completed not only the design of the iconostasis, but also its life-size drawing-template, according to which St. Petersburg carvers Joseph Domash and Andrei Karlovsky made all the carved parts. The installation of the iconostasis in Kyiv was supervised by the master Johann Grot. Behind the iconostasis in the altar there is an altar canopy on twisted gilded columns decorated with garlands of flowers. The interior attracts attention to the pulpit for the preacher, which is supported by two gilded figures of angels. Of great interest is the painting of St. Andrew's Church from the mid-18th century - icons of the iconostasis, painting of the pulpit, paintings in the dome, painted in oil paints on canvas. Most of the icons (25 pieces) were made in St. Petersburg by the artist I. Vishnyakov and his students. The painting on the reverse side of the iconostasis was created by Ukrainian artists I. Romensky and I. Tchaikovsky. The works of the talented Russian painter Alexei Antropov are of the greatest value: the painting of the pulpit, the dome, the large painting “The Last Supper” in the altar, some of the icons in the iconostasis. His signature has been preserved on the icon of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary.
Although all the paintings in St. Andrew's Church are painted on religious subjects, in terms of execution they are secular paintings with spectacular poses, elegant clothes, an abundance of everyday details, landscapes and still lifes characteristic of the Baroque style. This is realistic, life-affirming art, devoid of religious asceticism. Painting is organically connected with carvings, stucco decoration and architectural forms of the building.
On the western walls of the transept there are two paintings from the 19th century - “The Choice of Faith by Prince Vladimir” by an unknown author and “The Sermon of the Apostle Andrew” by the artist Platon Borispolets. These are large historical canvases, the content of which is related to the stories of ancient Russian chronicles. These works were performed in the characteristic manner of classicism.
In general, the interior of St. Andrew's Church - light, elegant, elegant - gives the impression of a ceremonial palace hall.
In terms of its artistic expressiveness, courage and originality of design, St. Andrew's Church is one of the masterpieces of Russian architecture of the 18th century. The perfection of lines, clear proportions, amazing harmony of forms and the surrounding landscape brought this monument worldwide fame.
In 1968, St. Andrew's Church was declared a museum. At present, St. Andrew's Church has been restored. Among the main shrines of the church is a piece of the relics of St. Andrew the First-Called, brought from Italy and stored in a special ark. Pilgrims were attracted by the Gospel gifted by Emperor Alexander in a precious setting studded with diamonds.
To our deepest regret, this masterpiece of architecture at the present time can only be considered as an adornment of the city, since it belongs to the Greek Catholic Uniate denomination.
ANDREW'S CHURCH, 1747—1753 (Andreevsky Descent, 23)
Built according to the design of V.V. Rastrelli by Moscow architect. I. F. Michurin. Located above the cliff of Starokievskaya Mountain, dominating Podil, in the place where at the beginning of the 13th century. was erected. Superbly located on the top of a hill, the building has become one of the main components that forms the panorama of the city from the Dnieper side.
The initial project, drawn up in 1745 by architect. I.-G. Shedel and engineer-regiment. De Bosquet, was rejected in St. Petersburg. In 1748, the project of V.V. Rastrelli was approved. Already in 1747, preparations for construction work began. Russian and Ukrainian craftsmen took part in the construction of St. Andrew's Church. By 1753, the building was basically finished, but the finishing work lasted until 1767. The paintings were carried out by famous painters A.P. Antropov and I.Ya. Vishnyakov. The altar was painted by Ukrainian masters I. Romensky and I. Tchaikovsky.
Built on a slope eroded by springs, which was threatened by collapses and landslides, the church needed frequent repairs. In 1786 - 1800 groundwater was diverted from the foundations and repaired. In 1815, a strong storm tore off the domes. A major overhaul was needed. In 1816, architect. A, I. Melensky made drawings of the facade and plan and sent them to St. Petersburg. In 1825 - 1828 According to them, the building was repaired. The tiled roof was replaced with iron, but the domes lost their decor and changed shape.
In 1844 - 1846 The church was re-plastered, the damaged masonry of the foundation was replenished, the wooden staircase to the terrace was replaced with cast iron, the domes were covered with new iron. These works were supervised by the architect. P. I. Sparro. In 1865, work was carried out to strengthen the slopes and foundations. In 1866, the dilapidated wooden structures of the domes were replaced, bringing their shape closer to that designed by V.V. Rastrelli, the temple and stylobate building were repaired.
In 1891, the central dome was damaged by lightning and was restored in 1894 - 1895. its shape was significantly changed. In 1896, V.N. Nikolaev drew up drawings, according to which in 1900 the dome was returned to the shape it had before the renovation of 1894 - 1895. Significant restoration work was carried out in 1949-1952 and in 1965-1967. The most significant was the last stage of restoration, carried out in 1974 - 1979. Based on research (architect V. I. Korneeva), the identity of the original project of V. V. Rastrelli with the drawings stored in the graphic collection of the Albertina Museum in Vienna (Austria) was established, and a restoration project was drawn up. The original appearance of the monument was returned, the shape and decoration of the completion were restored, the lost details of the cast-iron decorations were restored, the domes and decor were gilded. Work has been carried out on the restoration and conservation of wall paintings and carvings.
It is made of brick, plastered, with a cross in plan, the western branch of which is extended to accommodate the narthex. In the corners of the cross there are powerful pylons, completed with four slender chapters, together with the dome forming a five-domed completion. The church is placed on a two-story stylobate building, with a cast-iron staircase leading to the entrance. The walls are decorated with pilasters placed on a high plinth with cast-iron gilded capitals of the Corinthian order and completed with pediments. The corner pylons on three sides are decorated with pairs of columns on high pedestals. On the pediments there are gilded cast iron cartouches with a monogram. The interior of the church is decorated with stucco decoration in the Baroque style. The interesting shape of the carving, made according to a drawing by V.V. Rastrelli, attracts attention. An important place in the interior design is occupied by the paintings “The Sermon of the Apostle Andrew to the Scythians” (artist P. G. Borispolets, 1847) and “The Choice of Faith by Prince Vladimir.” Since 1968, St. Andrew's Church has become a branch
St. Andrew's Church is an essential component of the Kyiv skyline. It belonged to the best works of the Russian architect V.V. Rastrelli. The monument is rightfully considered one of the masterpieces of world architecture.
From the book "Monuments of urban planning and architecture of the Ukrainian SSR", volume 1, pp. 16-17, publishing house "Budivelnyk", 1983-1986
On November 10, 2018, St. Andrew’s Church was transferred for “free permanent use” to the Patriarchate of Constantinople for worship, religious rites, ceremonies and processions. Its use by the Patriarchate of Constantinople will be carried out in compliance with the legislation of Ukraine on the protection of cultural heritage.
St. Andrew's Church in Kyiv.St. Andrew's Church is often called the swan song of the outstanding master of Russian architecture Bartolomeo Rastrelli. It rises on one of the steep slopes of Starokievskaya Mountain. From its terrace there is a unique view of the ancient Podol, the Trans-Dnieper distances, and new residential areas.
In the place where St. Andrew's Church now stands in Kyiv, in the 13th-17th centuries several buildings replaced each other, bearing the name “Church of the Exaltation of the Cross”. The last of the churches burned down in 1677, and from that time on the “holy place” was indicated only by a large wooden cross (which was said to have been erected by the Apostle Andrew).
St. Andrew's Cathedral. Photo: Serafim Sergeevich Goncharov, 11 years old, Kyiv, Ukraine
The wooden St. Andrew's Church appeared on the hill only in 1690. St. Andrew's Church was assembled from materials left over from the dismantled Epiphany Church from the Brotherhood Monastery, where large stone construction began.
This structure could not stand it for a long time and in 1724 it collapsed “from the great winds.” In 1735, the magistrate again intended to build a church on this site, but the Russian-Turkish war prevented it - the mountain was occupied by a bastion.
The current St. Andrew's Church was built by order of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, who was going to place her summer residence in Kyiv.
Ivan Petrovich Argunov. Portrait of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna
Tocque Louis (1696-1772) Empress Elizabeth Petrovna
Immediately after Elizabeth’s visit to Kyiv (during which she personally laid the foundation for St. Andrew’s Church), the first project appeared, created in 1745 by architects Johann Schedel and Daniil Debosket. But the Empress rejected it, and St. Andrew’s Church began to be built according to a design completed in 1748 by Bartolomeo Rastrelli. The performer of the work was the Moscow architect Ivan Michurin.
Rotary - Portrait of the Architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli
After a long delay caused by the reluctance of the Kyiv clergy to remove the “St. Andrew’s” cross, construction of St. Andrew’s Church began in the summer of 1749, and was completed three years later. Michurin made many additions to Rastrelli's project - in particular, he added steps to the porch (Rastrelli was going to make a ramp) and built a two-story building - a stylobate, in which, for the 150th anniversary of Elizabeth Petrovna (in 1859), an altar was built in honor of her heavenly patroness- Great Martyr Elizabeth.
The interior of St. Andrew's Church was created in 1753-55. The iconostasis, pulpit and altar canopy were designed by Rastrelli himself, and the carvings were carried out by Kyiv masters (Joseph Domash, Christopher Oreidakh, Andrei Karlovsky, Matvey Manturov). The paintings for the iconostasis of St. Andrew's Church were painted by Russian artists Ivan Vishnyakov and Alexey Antropov, who headed the "painting team".
Prince Vladimir's choice of faith. Painting by an unknown artist on the wall of St. Andrew's Church
P. Borispolets. Sermon of the Apostle Andrew, 1847
After the death of Elizabeth, no one was interested in St. Andrew's Church; it was consecrated only in 1767, but services were never held in it, because, firstly, a parish was not assigned to St. Andrew's Church, and secondly, St. Andrew's Church quickly came into an emergency condition due to landslides on the hillsides, imperfect drainage systems, rains and winds. Several renovations over the next 120 years did not improve the situation, as due to lack of funds they were never carried out to the required extent. In addition, during the last renovation (after a lightning strike in 1891), the proportions of the central dome of St. Andrew's Church were distorted. Fortunately, in 1900, the architect Vladimir Nikolaev returned St. Andrew's Church to its former appearance.
In 1915, after further landslides, the building of St. Andrew's Church again showed cracks, which were eliminated only after a major overhaul of the hill's drainage system in 1926. Now St. Andrew's Church has been restored in accordance with Rastrelli's original drawings.
There is a legend according to which the place where the Dnieper now flows was a sea. When St. Andrei came to Kyiv and put a cross on the mountain where St. Andrew’s Church now stands, and the whole sea went down. But some part of it remained and hid under St. Andrew’s Mountain. When St. Andrew's Church was later built here, a well opened under the altar.
There are no bells in St. Andrew's Church, because, according to legend, at the first blow the water would wake up and flood not only Kyiv, but the entire Left Bank. The pearl of the Baroque - St. Andrew's Church was founded in 1744 in connection with the arrival of Elizabeth I in Kyiv. St. Andrew's Church was built in 1749 - 1754. according to the project of V.V. Rastrelli on Andreevskaya Mountain, at the beginning of Andreevsky Descent. This is the only surviving work of the architect in Ukraine. The construction was led by the architect I. Michurin.
The single-domed, five-domed St. Andrew's Church has the shape of a cross, in the corners of which there are decorative towers on massive pillars, which act as a kind of buttresses.
On the outside, the buttresses are decorated with pilasters and covered with three pairs of columns with capitals of the Corinthian order. A steep cast-iron staircase leads to St. Andrew's Church from the street.
The entire mass of St. Andrew's Church rests on a two-story stylobate house with eight rooms on each floor, the walls of which represent the foundation of the church. There is a balustrade around St. Andrew's Church, from which a picturesque panorama of Podol and the Dnieper opens.
Having received an atheistic upbringing, for a long time I did not experience interest, much less sacred awe, from religious shrines and cultural places, one way or another connected with Christianity, Buddhism, Islam and other faiths. All this came much later. Today I will talk about St. Andrew's Church, which became one of my spiritual and architectural discoveries.
There is, perhaps, not a single serious researcher of the history of Kyiv who would ignore the hill where this immortal creation of the brilliant architect Francesco Rastrelli now stands. I heard one story several times. The Apostle Andrew rode from Palestine to, ascending the Dnieper (yes, a very strange path, but I am not a historian, I will not argue with the legend). And he put a cross (on the site of the current St. Andrew’s Church) with the words: “Do you see these mountains? God’s grace will shine on them, there will be a great city, and God will erect many churches.” The prophecy of the holy apostle, as subsequent events testify, was fulfilled, and the historical hill began to be called St. Andrew’s Mountain.
History of St. Andrew's Church
On one of the excursions, I was told that there used to be several churches on this site. One of them is the temple in the name of the Exaltation. Later it was renamed St. Andrew's Church, which was soon destroyed by strong winds. Due to the events of the Russian-Turkish War of 1735-1739, the square was converted into a bastion (prisoners were kept there). And only in August 1744, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, during her stay in Kyiv, impressed by the sermon about the holy apostle, identified St. Andrew's Hill as the site for a new church. The drawings for it were made by chief architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, an outstanding architect, Italian by birth, known in the world as a master of Baroque architecture. The supervision of complex construction work was carried out by Moscow architect I.F. Michurin. He had to design a special drainage system to drain groundwater to prevent landslides.
The first serious one reconstruction of Andreevsky Descent took place at the end of the 70s-s. At the same time interesting appeared idea: shouldn’t we give the buildings on the street to artists and conduct vernissages, turning street in artistic center of Kyiv. The residents who were relocated rejoiced because the descent was then like Harlem. At the same time, St. Andrew's Church was restored according to the drawings of F.B. Rastrelli, found in the Viennese archives. And since 1992, the church was under restoration for 8 years and only on November 18, 2000 it opened its doors again.
Since the story of Andreevskaya church is closely intertwined with the history of all St. Andrew's descent, I think you will be interested in reading about my last one.
Exterior and interior of St. Andrew's Church
Of course, this is a masterpiece of architectural art. Already from a distance it seems that you understand the author’s intention. Numerous restorations (due to which services were almost never held) do not spoil the impression at all, but even give the church extreme lightness and beauty. The top of the church is crowned by a single oblong bathhouse, the blocks of which are built into tall and thin turrets. It looks no worse inside, where my attention was primarily attracted by the pulpit for preaching and the multi-tiered gilded iconostasis, both made in the Rococo style. The icons were created by outstanding masters of Russian painting. The iconostasis and church utensils were brought from St. Petersburg, and Ukrainian carvers also took part in the manufacture of the interior decoration of the temple. Iconostasis of St. Andrew's Church has about 39 icons.
The interior decoration is an unsurpassed example of an Orthodox church interior in the Baroque style.
Some interesting facts about St. Andrew's Church
- According to its original purpose, St. Andrew's Church was supposed to be a Palace Church, and therefore did not need a bell tower. One of the journalists of the Kiev newspaper in the issue of April 1, 1912 told its readers “stunning” news: “The bell tower was destroyed. Today at 4 o’clock the bell tower of the Kiev St. Andrew’s Church collapsed. The disaster was accompanied by a terrible crash and roar. Fortunately, no one was hurt.” "Part of Andreevsky Descent is littered with debris, and it is impossible to drive there. The disaster was caused by spring landslides in the Kyiv mountains." The Kiev governor assessed a joke in the style of Ivan Urgant with a fine of exactly 300 rubles for the editor.
- There is a legend that as soon as the bell sounds, the water will suddenly wake up and very quickly flood both Old Kyiv and the Left Bank of the Dnieper, which once was not Kiev. Also allegedly related to this is the fact that the church was not blown up during the retreat of the Red Army.
- One of the four monuments of Ukraine that is included in the “One Hundred Wonders of the World” catalog is St. Andrew’s Church.
- Due to the complexity of the terrain, groundwater and spring water, the church was placed on a stylobate 14 meters high, which from the side of Andreevsky Descent looks like two-story building.
- The plan of the church is in the shape of a cross.
- The original cast iron floor of the church at the end of the 19th century. was replaced by marble.
- They say that honor of building a church the empress provided Kyiv in gratitude for Oleks Razum (Razumovsky), whom the Ukrainian land nurtured.
St. Andrew's Church in cinema
It was in St. Andrew's Church that Svirid Petrovich and Pronya Prokopovna went to get married (the film “Chasing Two Hares”). Not far from St. Andrew's Church there is an original monument to the heroes of the film (or Staritsky's play, I don't know how to look at it).
Services at St. Andrew's Church
Sad news for pilgrims. Cathedral St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called is again closed for reconstruction. Divine services and services are not held. But don't worry, it won't last long. Services will be resumed very soon. For now, I can recommend the website of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, where you can take a virtual tour. Or view the photos I posted.
How to get there
- Combined way(in my opinion, the most pleasant). Art ance metro, which is closest to all the others– Poshtovaya Square, then take the funicular up and along the street. Vladimirskaya or Tithe pass on Andreevsky descent At the very beginning under 23rd house number and is located Church of St. Andrew the First-Called.
- On trolleybus(16,18 or 6th number) you can drive one stop from Independence Square and walk along Vladimirskaya Street to the beginning of Andreevsky Descent.
- On personal transportyou can find a parking space near St. Andrew's Church itself or a little further away. It is better to go from the center, as Andreevsky is closed on weekends. Even if the road is clear, the advantage there will not be in your favor.
- Here's a trip to Taxi in Kyiv it will lighten your wallet by 2.5-3 hryvnia for every kilometer of the journey.
On a note
I think it’s not worth making a pilgrimage purely to St. Andrew’s Church... The magical beauty of Rastrelli’s work is only a small part of the amazing world that reigns on St. Andrew’s Descent. What you won’t see here at the street market, which is bustling in the morning till late evening. And along the way you can also visit the cozy free galleries “36” and “Triptych”.
Located on the steep right bank of the Dnieper, above the historical part of the city - Podol. Down from it goes Andreevsky Descent, connecting the upper city with the lower one.
St. Andrew's Church | |
---|---|
Ukrainian St. Andrew's Church | |
A country | Ukraine |
Location | Kyiv |
Address | Kyiv, Andreevsky descent, 23 |
Confession | Orthodoxy |
Author of the project | Bartolomeo Rastrelli |
Builder | Ivan Michurin |
Construction | - years |
Architectural style | baroque architecture |
Website | andriyivska-tserkva.kiev.ua |
Media files on Wikimedia Commons |
Currently, it is a permanent representation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Ukraine. Liturgies are conducted by clergy of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople.
Story
The church was built by order of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna in 1749-1754 by local architects under the leadership of the Moscow architect Ivan Michurin on the site where, according to legend, a cross was erected by Apostle Andrew the First-Called during his journey to the north (according to The Tale of Bygone Years and others ). The original drawings of St. Andrew's Church are kept in the Vienna Albertina. On the site of the church there was previously a wooden Jancin monastery, which was destroyed in 1240.
The artists Ivan Vishnyakov and his students (25 icons), I. Romensky, I. Tchaikovsky (icons on the reverse side of the iconostasis), as well as Alexey Antropov, who painted the pulpit, dome, a number of icons of the iconostasis and images in the altar, took part in the decoration of the church. The symbolic composition in the lower tier of the iconostasis depicts the seven sacraments. Among the icons is a scene of the Apostle Andrew preaching among the people of Kiev by the Kyiv artist P. Borispolets and a painting by I. Eggink, in which the holy Prince Vladimir chooses faith. On the reverse side of the iconostasis wall there are symbolic paintings, in particular, a scene of the kings worshiping the Heavenly King (probably painted by Grigory Levitsky). Behind the throne is an image of the Last Supper made by Antropov. The interior features a sermon cathedral with a canopy, supported by two angels, with its graceful lines. The pulpit is decorated with carvings and paintings illustrating Gospel parables. This building intertwined the achievements of European art, embodied by Rastrelli, and Ukrainian artistic traditions with their lyricism, clarity of forms and colors.
In 1968, the church was opened to visitors as a museum. In May 2008, the secretariat of President Viktor Yushchenko decided to transfer St. Andrew's Church from the balance of the National Reserve "Sofia of Kiev" to the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. The church is part of the Sophia of Kiev National Reserve.
The condition of St. Andrew's Church has noticeably improved after major work to strengthen the slope on which the building is located and a major reconstruction of the St. Andrew's Descent road. These and other works were completed before Euro 2012. The slope under St. Andrew's Church was reinforced according to a special design with anchors, and the soil was reinforced with polymer materials. Trees and bushes were completely removed. Thus, the slope was given its original appearance, and the view of St. Andrew's Church from the northern and eastern sides was improved. However, houses continue to be built in the protected zone of St. Andrew’s Church and St. Andrew’s Descent, which worsens the condition of the monument.
Description
A two-story basement (stylobate) supports an externally light building 46 m high. The facade of the single-domed temple with a five-domed ending is decorated with columns, pilasters, and rich modeling, made in the style of Rastrelli's Baroque. Windows and doors are decorated