Overlooking the old section of Kyiv, Podol, stands the Ukrainian Baroque church of St. Andrew, much beloved by Ukrainians. Known in Ukraine as the Andrievsky Church in Kiev it is one of the most beautiful in Eastern Europe. It is a spiritual centre and a sacred place in Ukraine, surrounded by a beautiful market in the old part of Kiev city. It was said that in ancient times there stood a pagan shrine with idols. Legend has it that this was also a place where one of Jesus’ Apostles, Andrew, blessed the hills over Dnipro and said: “There will shine a great town with many golden domed churches. God blessed these green hills” maybe, that is why Kyiv has survived the intervening millennium and many wars, and has remained majestically standing among green blooming trees as the holy ancient capital of the center of Eastern Europe.
The art and architecture of Kyiv are world treasures. The Cathedral of St. Sophia, where the princes of Kyiv were crowned in the years of Kyiv’s grandeur, has outstanding mosaics and frescoes dating back to the 11th century. Overlooking the old section of Kyiv, Podol, stands the Ukrainian Baroque church of St. Andrew, much beloved by Ukrainians. The Percherska Lavra, the Monastery of the Caves, a short trolley ride from the center of town, has two 11th-century cathedrals on its grounds, in addition to its world-famous catacombs, bell tower, and museum collections. Close to the center of town stands the Golden Gate, a structure which dates back to 1037. This recently reconstructed remains of the former fortified wall of the city defined the limits of the city in centuries past. Several blocks away, stands the magnificent 19th-century Cathedral of St. Volodymyr.
For more information or to view other places of interest in the Ukraine go to the Go Ukraine Website, or view via the Travel and Tourism link.
