Sviata Sofiia in Kyiv
Type:
Churches,
Wall paintings,
Mosaics
Date:
1037–46
Location or Findspot (Modern-Day Country):
Ukraine
Description:
The Grand Prince Jaroslav the Wise (r. 1019–54), son of the first Rus' convert to Christianity, had a new cathedral built in Kyiv and dedicated to Holy Wisdom, Sviata Sofiia or St. Sophia ("Sophia" means "wisdom" and is not the name of a specific saint). It was built by Byzantine craftsmen with a centralized layout and large central dome over the naos, much like Hagia Sophia Cathedral in Constantinople. It was mostly decorated with floor-to-ceiling frescoes, but included mosaic decoration in the sanctuary and naos, which were the most sacred spaces in the cathedral. The apse conch depicts a standing Theotokos in an unusual orant pose that reproduces one in the Byzantine imperial palace at Blachernae in Constantinople. Below her is a eucharistic scene in which two angels flank a communion table and Christ (depicted twice) distributes bread and wine to the Apostles. Above the scene is a biblical quotation in Greek ("Take, eat. This is my body...") from Matthew 26:26–28.
In the frescoes reproduced here, you can see a depiction of the Visitation (Elizabeth and Mary embracing), Jaroslav and his family above the west entrance to the naos, and a musician in the hippodrome in Constantinople. Scenes of the hippodrome, the unusual apse conch image, the use of mosaics , and the dedication to Holy Wisdom all helped tie the new Kyivan cathedral to the one in Constantinople and the Kyivan rulers to the well-established Byzantine ones.
In the frescoes reproduced here, you can see a depiction of the Visitation (Elizabeth and Mary embracing), Jaroslav and his family above the west entrance to the naos, and a musician in the hippodrome in Constantinople. Scenes of the hippodrome, the unusual apse conch image, the use of mosaics , and the dedication to Holy Wisdom all helped tie the new Kyivan cathedral to the one in Constantinople and the Kyivan rulers to the well-established Byzantine ones.
Relevant Textbook Chapter(s):
6
Repository and Online Resources:
• This cathedral site in Ukraine is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Image Credits:
Wikimedia Commons, Navid Jamali
