The Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin (Pokrovska Church) (18th сentury)

The Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin (Pokrovska Church) (18th сentury)

The architectural monument of the Baroque age was erected in the second half of the 18th century under the Andriyivska mountain on the old Podil street, which upon completion of construction was named Pokrovska.

In the 14th century a colony of Armenian merchants lived in this area. In the lower part of the street they built a wooden church that burned down in the 17th century. In1685 on the foundations of the old Armenian church, the Greek merchant Ternaviot built the wooden Orthodox Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin, which preserved until 1766.

The new Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin was built in 1766-1772 under the project of the architect I. Hrygorovych-Barsky. The two-tiered brick church was erected in the style of Ukrainian Baroque with a typical for Ukrainian architecture three-dome structure, symbolizing the Holy Trinity.    

The most original feature of the architectural decor of the church is the picturesque porches on the southern and northern facades, which are more characteristic of the Ukrainian wooden huts. Also, the facades of the church are determined by a large number (34 pieces) of baroque window openings of various shapes. The original domes of the church had typical pear-shaped forms, which eventually changed as a result of the big fire of 1811. When the church was restored by architect A. Melensky, the form of domes was made in the Empire style, which reigned at that time in architecture. Belfry of the church of the second half of the 18th  century was rebuilt after the fire in the style of Classicism.