Tithing Church - a lost Ukrainian shrine

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

The Church of the Tithes is one of the most ancient churches erected on the territory of modern Kyiv immediately after the baptism of Russia. It was raised by Prince Vladimir. The temple was built only 5 years, from 991 to 996. Unfortunately, his fate was rather tragic, already in 1240 he ceased to exist. Some remains of the church have survived to this day and today are located in the estate of the Historical Museum.

During the period when Christianity in Russia was only in its infancy, the construction of the church was of great importance. It was built on the model of the Constantinople temple at the court of the emperor. The Church of the Tithes was built by specially invited craftsmen from Byzantium from completely new finishing materials. The place for its construction was not chosen by chance. There used to live two Christian martyrs killed by pagans. To atone for such a sin, Prince Vladimir decided to build a temple.

The tithe church is so called because the prince allocated a tenth of his property for the construction of temples, and it was the main treasury. It is known that its structure and dimensions were very impressive, only St. Sophia of Kyiv was better than this church. Many written sources of those timesThe Church of the Tithes is called marble, apparently because it had many columns, frescoes and marble mosaics. She was one of the best in decoration.

The tithe church in Kyiv initially guarded the peace of Prince Vladimir and his wife Anna, as well as Princess Olga. A little later, the remains of Oleg and Yaropolk, the brothers of Vladimir, and then Izyaslav Yaroslavovich and Rostislav Mstislavovich, were transferred. The temple did not stand for long, in 1240 Batu Khan attacked Kievan Rus with his accrued army. All the people of Kiev tried to hide in the church, but it could not withstand such a load, the walls collapsed, burying all the people under them.

The Church of the Tithes (or rather its ruins) stood until the 19th century. Several attempts have been made to study it. Archaeologists noted that the walls of the temple are dotted with inscriptions in Greek. During the excavations, sarcophagi with the remains of princes, as well as gold jewelry that were on them, were also found.

Tithing Church has repeatedly tried to revive. First it happened in 1636, then a small temple was built; and in the 30s of the 19th century a new tithe church was built, but in terms of architecture it did not at all resemble its predecessor. Many Kievans considered it a shame and an insult to the great temple of Prince Vladimir. Therefore, no one was very upset when in 1936 the church was completely destroyed, dismantled brick by brick.

In 2005, the government signed a decree on the restoration of such an architecturalmonument and Ukrainian shrine, like the Church of the Tithes. Kyiv is a great city with dozens of beautiful churches, but, nevertheless, raising this church from the ruins, it will become even more beautiful and interesting. But the fate of the temple is not yet known, since construction has not yet begun. There are fierce debates about what the Tithe Church should be like - to restore its original appearance or build a completely new building. Whether the parties will come to a compromise, and whether the shrine will be erected, only time will tell.