REPAIR AND RESTORATION
REPAIR AND RESTORATION
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During its existence the St. Andrew’s Church has not sustained considerable alterations and/or reconstruction, though it has been repaired many times.
At the beginning of the 20th century, due to storms and foul weather the Church has lost the dйcor of domes and cupolas. Repair works of 1826–1829 were carried out according to the project and under the supervision of the architect A. Melensky. The Kyivan eparchy architect P. Sparro was entrusted with designing of project for the next repairs of the edifice. His project provided for repairs of the cathedral, church porch, stylobate, and stairs, which were carried out in 1844–1845. At the same time wooden stairs were replaced with cast-iron ones, and the church porch was covered with cast-iron slabs.
In commemoration of the hundredths anniversary of the Church, which was celebrated in 1867 a major repairs were carried out: was constructed a header which intercepted underground springs, church porch slabs were replaced, a counterfort was constructed on the northern side, under the fence post. Rotten wooden rafters were replaced with new ones, the roof and domes were covered over again, facades were painted, ornamental adornments were gilded. In the interior gilding of pulpit, tsar’s place, and stucco molding were renovated. A. Muraviov (1806–1874) — a poet, dramatist, religious and public figure became the initiator of the Church’s repairs. His personal contribution to the preservation of the St. Andrew’s Church is very appreciable.
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The restoration of the central dome cupola. 1978
The church surrounded by the restoration structures. Restoration 1978–1979
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He managed to convince the tsar’s government to commit considerable treasury funds for repair works which lasted for several years. In 1858 and 1864 temples in honor of the Saint Zachariah and Elizabeth, as well as St. Sergius of Radonezh were arranged in the stylobate, and divine services were administered there in cold seasons. The heating system, initially a radiator one, and later on a hot-water one was installed in the St. Andrew’s Church in the 20th century. On August 19, 1867 a hundredth anniversary of the St. Andrew, the First-Called Cathedral’s consecration was solemnly celebrated in the presence of the highest military and civil government of Kyiv.
Thanks to solicitation by A. Muraviov, the St. Andrew’s Church obtained valuable presents in honor of the festive occasion: an icon, the Gospel, and attire from the tsar’s family; a painting by P. Boryspolets The Sermon by the Apostle Andrew from the Kyivan Metropolitan Arsenius; a painting The Choice of Faith by the Prince Volodymyr from the count Sheremetiev. Muraviov himself sacrificed to the Cathedral part of relics of the Apostle Andrew brought in 1850 from the Athos.
After the stroke of lightning (1892), which damaged the cupola of the central dome, the eparch architect, academician of architecture V. Nikolaiev prepared project documentation for repairs of the St. Andrew’s Church upper part. Unfortunately, during repairs in 1894–1895 when wooden structures were replaced with metal ones, outlines of the central dome were partially changed.
During the 20th century in the monument repairs and restoration works were carried out several times. In 1923–1926 was constructed a circular ring of the drainage system, along with clearing and using of already existing wells. In 1930s were carried out capital repairs of the roof, edifice’s facades, walls newly plastered, domes painted, and a retaining wall in the northern part was laid over again.
During 1949–1950 the consequences of war were liquidated: metal carcasses of the domes, cast-iron stairs, fence, church porch were repaired; crosses on the cupolas were fastened; roof and domes damaged by bullets were covered with sheet iron, damaged parts of the brickwork of walls were laid over again; facades were plastered and painted; major repair of the Church building’s groundfloor was carried out; heating and ventilation systems were reconstructed. In 1950 along western retaining wall of the Church stairs a one-storied extension adjacent to the southern façade of the stylobate was erected.
Due to the landslip which occurred in 1970s, hill’s slopes were strengthened by semicircles of bored ferroconcrete piles 20 meters deep, on which a ferroconcrete retaining cushion was mounted, and on its top an observation deck was arranged.
In 1978–1979 were renewed according to their original forms the tops of the church, based on authentic sketches by F.-B. Rastrelli, photographic copies of which were sent by Albertina Vienna Museum (author of the restoration project — architect V. Korneyeva who went down in history of the St. Andrew’s Church restoration as an extra-class specialist). Upon completion of restoration works according to the sketches by Rastrelli, the St. Andrew’s Church attained the external look envisaged by the author’s message, and occupied appropriate place in the history of the national and world architecture.
During decades the restoration of painting and wooden carving of the St. Andrew’s Church has been performed by the experts of Ukrrestavratsia corporation and the National Research and Restoration Center of Ukraine.
From 1992 to 2000 significant repairs and restoration works have been carried out in the St. Andrew’s Church: modeling was strengthened, iconostasis carrying beam was replaced, marble floor was laid over again, pillars were strengthened, stairs, church porch, and stylobate were repaired.
Due to the hill’s emergency condition on which the St. Andrew’s Church is standing, in the nearest years it is planned to carry out works on the hill’s reinforcement and land improvement.
Comprehensive survey of numerous archive, bibliographic, and iconographic sources, analysis of construction materials, study of structures, taking exact archeological measures made it possible to carry out the monument’s restoration on the scientific basis. Works are being performed at the highest professional level, making use of the best technologies, according to the principle of the full preservation of the monument’s existing forms and its details.
Comprehensive survey of numerous archive, bibliographic, and iconographic sources, analysis of construction materials, study of structures, taking exact archeological measures made it possible to carry out the monument’s restoration on the scientific basis. Works are being performed at the highest professional level, making use of the best technologies, according to the principle of the full preservation of the monument’s existing forms and its details.