The oldest square in Kyiv - majestic and restrained at the same time. How to get to Sofiyivska Square? What interesting objects are located on it? This will be discussed in this article.
Kyiv can boast of many interesting places. Sofiyivska Square is one of the main items on the list of every tourist. Sophia Cathedral with a majestic bell tower, a monument to Bohdan Khmelnitsky and other sights are located here.
Sofiyivska Square - the heart of Kyiv
In 1036 it was at this place that the army of Yaroslav the Wise defeated the Pechenegs. In honor of this significant event, the prince of Kyiv ordered the construction of a majestic cathedral. A square appeared next to it, which was originally called Starokievskaya.
Since the 16th century, veche (people's meetings) have been held at this place, regular fairs have been organized. It was here that the people of Kiev met the army of Bogdan Khmelnytsky during the Liberation War of the Ukrainian people of 1648-1654. In the middle of the 19th century, the square received its modern name and became known as Sofiyivska (Sofiyska).
Many important historical events took place here andin the twentieth century. On the square, the III Universal was solemnly adopted, proclaiming the Ukrainian People's Republic. This event took place in 1917. And in 1990, Sofiyivska Square became the starting point for the so-called living chain that connected Kyiv and Lviv. At least 1 million people participated in this event!
Sofiyivska Square: how to get there
Today the square is a favorite vacation spot for Kyivans and guests of the capital. It is located in the Shevchenkovsky district, within the Old (Upper) city, between Vladimirskaya street and St. Sophia Cathedral.
The easiest way to get to the square is as follows: get to the Zolotye Vorota metro station (green line) and walk about 700 meters north along Vladimirskaya street. You can also get here by trolleybus (number 16 or 18).
There is another, more exotic way to get to Sofievskaya. To do this, you need to get off at the Pochtovaya Ploshchad metro station, take the funicular up to St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral and walk along Vladimirsky Proyezd to the square.
Sophia Cathedral - a monument of ancient Russian architecture
Speaking of Sofiyivska Square, one cannot fail to mention the cathedral standing nearby. This magnificent building is one of the oldest and most outstanding in Europe. Sophia Cathedral, together with all adjacent buildings of the architectural complex, is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
"Architectural fairy tale" - that's how enthusiasticdescribes this cathedral one of the modern Ukrainian local historians. It was built by Byzantine craftsmen in the 11th century. Although the exact date of construction is unknown to scientists and researchers. According to the chronicles ("The Tale of Bygone Years"), this happened in 1037. However, many are skeptical about this date, since at the same time, according to the same Nestor the Chronicler, a number of other large buildings and temples of Ancient Kyiv were erected. And this is physically impossible. Most likely, under the year 1037 the author had in mind the moment when the construction of all these buildings was completed. Based on this, researchers offer several dates for the foundation of St. Sophia Cathedral: 1011, 1017 or 1022.
The bell tower of the complex, which is directly adjacent to the square, was erected much later - in the 18th century, during the reign of Hetman Ivan Mazepa. It originally had three levels. Later, in the 19th century, the fourth tier of the bell tower was completed. Its height is 76 meters.
On the bell tower of the cathedral is the bell "Mazepa", dating back to the same XVIII century. It is the largest among the ancient bells of Ukraine. Its diameter is about one and a half meters.
Other monuments in the square
The second dominant feature of Sofiivska Square is the monument to the Ukrainian hetman Bogdan Khmelnitsky, erected in 1888. One very interesting legend is connected with this monument. They say that initially the monument was installed so that the mace of Khmelnitsky pointed to Warsaw. However, in this position, the back of the horse was turned towards the Kyiv shrine - Mikhailovskycathedral. The sculpture had to be turned around, and now Bogdan is threatening with his hetman's mace in a northerly direction - towards either Moscow or Sweden.
Sofiyivska Square is a sacred place for Kyiv. This was understood by all the conquerors of the city, who first of all tried to install their banners or monuments-symbols on it. So, in February 1919, the Bolsheviks, having captured the city, immediately installed busts of Lenin and Trotsky on Sofiyivskaya Square, and also made an obelisk "Glory to October!" (from plywood). Later, all this was destroyed by the Whites, who occupied Kyiv six months later.
In conclusion…
Sofiyivska Square - spacious, but not pompous, majestic and at the same time restrained. It was founded in the 11th century and has seen a lot since then. Today, tourists and locals love to walk around the square. It becomes especially beautiful at night - in the lights of evening illumination.
