Today I visited the Собор Святої Софії, or Cathedral of St. Sophia. It's foundations date to at least 1011--almost exactly 1,000 years ago! Named in honor of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople and patterned after the older St. Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod, it is on the list of World Heritage Sites and is probably the finest surviving example of Kievan Rus architecture. The name, of course, refers not to a specific Saint named "Sophia" but to "Wisdom"--not wisdom in the general sense, but the Holy Wisdom, a distinct attribute if not a distinct personage of Diety.
The original cathedral structure has 5 naves and 13 cupolas--there are now 19 cupolas including the additions built from the 16th century forwards. But the central, 11th century core is intact with all of its murals and mosaics, including the central, golden mosaic of the womanly figure of "Holy Wisdom" in the main dome.
Visitors are permitted to climb one of the circular corner staircases to the upper galleries, where almost every square foot of wall and ceiling space is filled with fantastic murals and mosaics. Among the unique panels I studied were murals of the ancient Temple in Jerusalem, of most of the Old Testament Prophets, of many stories from the New Testament, and historical murals showing Volodymyr's marriage to his Christian wife, Anna, in Constantinople, of their journey to Kyiv, of the baptism of the Rus in the Dnipro, and of their laying the foundation for St. Sophia's. I was particularly struck by a mural of Adam and Eve making a burnt offering on a small altar and then conversing with an angel, by another mural of "the Ancient of Days" appearing before a throng of people, and above all, a huge mural in the central northern tower depicting God the Father seated on a throne, with vivid lightning and clouds, surrounded by twenty-four kings who are laying their crowns on the ground before Him. This last mural is monumental in size, easily thirty feet wide and more than twenty feet high. There are also several towers in the upper levels filled with art treasures taken from the old St. Michael's Cathedral before it was destroyed in the 1930's.
On the ground level of the Cathedral the original 11th century arches, murals and floor mosaics are still plainly visible. St. Sophia's is reportedly the most complete example of 11th century church architecture in the world.
I spent about two or three hours inside the Cathedral itself, drinking in the spirit of the place, and marveling at the beautiful preservation of the building and its treasures after 1,000 years of use.
During the Soviet era, the building was confiscated but spared destruction as it was named as an architectural and cultural museum. Upon the fall of the Soviet Union, various churches lay claim to it, including the Ukrainian Orthodox, the Russian Orthodox and the Greek-Catholic Churches. Although all groups have been allowed to hold selective services here, no group has been given the right to hold regular services. On my prior visit to Ukraine, Olga Kupriyevich pointed out to me the grave of Patriarch Volodymyr of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Kyiv-Patriarchy, who is buried outside the gates of St. Sophia's. Apparently after the Patriarch died in 1995 his followers sought to inter him inside the walls of St. Sophia's, but were denied access. Riot police were called to prevent the burial, and a bloody clash took place. At least two people were killed and dozens injured in the violence that ensued. For these reasons, St. Sophia's remains a kind of universal symbol of Orthodoxy, but is not tied to any specific denomination. Like Jerusalem, the place is holy to several faiths and millions of believers.
On a personal level, after today's lengthy visit, I feel as tied to St. Sophia's as to any other site in Ukraine. Part of its fascination and attraction for me is its deep antiquity, and undoubtedly part is a feeling of family connection, as I am a direct descendant of Yaroslav and his queen, Anna, who laid the foundation for the place. But beyond that, there is something spiritually potent in this special place dedicated to the Holy Wisdom.
