A series of paintings by Myroslav Otkovych dedicated to the history of the construction of the main church of Rus’-Ukraine is on display in St. Sophia Cathedral
A series of paintings by Myroslav Otkovych dedicated to the history of the construction of the main church of Rus’-Ukraine is on display in St. Sophia Cathedral
Chronicle sources say a few words about the construction of St. Sophia Cathedral, the veracity of which scholars still argue.
“[1037] Yaroslav founded the city of Great Kyiv with the golden gate in it and founded the metropolia church of St. Sophia, the wisdom of God,” says the Rus Chronicle (according to the Ipatii list). “[1017] And St. Sophia was founded in Kyiv,” according to the Novgorod Chronicle.
It is not surprising that historians, art critics, and restorers have always been interested in the dating of works on the construction and decoration of the cathedral, as well as the origin of the masters who conducted these works. Research by the Conservation Area scientists Naiia Nikitenko and Vyacheslav Korniienko, conducted in the 2000s, showed that the construction of St. Sophia Cathedral began during the reign of Volodymyr the Great, and ended during the reign of Yaroslav the Wise.
A series of historical compositions and portraits of the famous Lviv artist and restorer Myroslav Otkovych* is dedicated to the 1000th anniversary of the foundation of Sophia of Kyiv, which was solemnly celebrated in 2011. An exhibition of these works is currently being held in St. Sophia Cathedral. The paintings depict key events and figures for the history of Christianity of Rus-Ukraine and St. Sophia Cathedral: Andrew the Apostle, Princess Olga and Prince Volodymyr the Great, foundation, construction and decoration of the main church of the Kyiv metropolitanate, the first canonized Rus saints Borys and Glib and others.
The author himself explains that the source of inspiration for the creation of this series was for him St. Sophia Cathedral, its mosaics and frescoes. Looking at Oranta, “you can feel the whirlpool of historical events, and then the images of saints on the frescoes and mosaics will speak,” says Myroslav Otkovych.
We also offer you a video tour of the exhibition.
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* Myroslav Otkovych (born 1947) is a well-known Ukrainian restorer, museum worker, and artist. For more than 30 years he headed the Lviv branch of the National Research and Restoration Center of Ukraine. He participated in the survey of the mosaics of St. Sophia Cathedral and the restoration of its Holy Gate.