1998: THE YEAR IN REVIEW: Kyiv reconstructs ancient treasures (12/27/98)

1998: THE YEAR IN REVIEW

Kyiv reconstructs ancient treasures

Although Ukraine's economy and the standard of living of its citizens continued to decline in 1998, the country's capital experienced a revitalization not seen in decades. Two of the Kyiv's most historic architectural and cultural treasures, as well as the city center, were reconstructed, thus bringing the city closer to the standards of Europe's great cities.

The most dynamic addition to the city's architectural treasure trove was the rebuilding of the historic St. Michael Golden-Domed Sobor, once at the center of Ukrainian spiritual life, based on computer renderings of the Sobor's 19th century appearance.

The 12th century church and neighboring monastery complex, which had been destroyed several times through the ages, were demolished again in 1936 by orders of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin as he tried to stifle Ukrainian cultural and spiritual development.

Plans to reconstruct the sobor began in 1995 after President Leonid Kuchma issued a presidential decree. Actual construction began in late 1997 after a two-year archaeological excavation that turned up much of historic value and a few surprises.

More than 260 valuable ancient artifacts were discovered during the dig. In addition, a portion of the historic church still intact was uncovered.

The major surprise of the excavation was the discovery of the remains of another ancient church that stood several meters from St. Michael's. Experts have yet to find any historical record that such a church existed.

The bell tower of St. Michael's was completed first, in time for Kyiv Days celebrations the weekend of May 14. More than 3,000 people were on hand for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony and the blessing of the 46-meter-high structure, including President Kuchma and Prime Minister Valerii Pustovoitenko.

The bell tower, which also holds a chapel dedicated to victims of the Great Famine of 1932-33 and a museum of the history of the church and old Kyiv, as well as the carillons, faces the equally historic St. Sophia Sobor located about 300 meters to the north.

To connect the two religious shrines, Mykhailivsky Square, located before the bell tower, was enlarged and renovated, and a promenade constructed.

Six months later President Kuchma again visited the site to take part in the ceremonial placing of a two-meter Byzantine cross atop the largest of the six golden cupolas that now cap the church and symbolize the completion of the construction phase of the rebuilding of St. Michael's.

Next year experts and artists will paint and adorn the interior of the church with new frescoes and mosaics, done according to the style and techniques of the 12th century.

Much of the historical art works that were saved before the church was destroyed are found in Kyiv, at St. Sophia Sobor and the Monastery of the Caves (Pecherska Lavra) complex today, but few of those will be moved back into the new church. Unlike St. Sophia Sobor, which will remain a museum, the new St. Michael's is planned to be a functioning church and officials do not want the ancient works damaged.

However, other religious objects that belonged to the church, some of which were deposited in the Tretiakov Gallery in Moscow after 1936, will be returned.

New church construction played a major part in the physical revitalization of Kyiv in 1998. In addition to the six golden domes of St. Michael's reappearing on the Kyiv skyline, the single dome of the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Mother of Pyrohoshcha returned. The Assumption Church, which also belongs to the Kyiv Patriarchate, was rebuilt on the site that it once occupied in the Podil district of lower Kyiv, and opened in time for Easter 1998.

The construction of two other churches, one at the center of Ukrainian Orthodoxy and as ancient as St. Michael's, the other Greek-Catholic, with a new and controversial design, also was begun in 1998.

The 11th century Dormition Cathedral (Uspenskii Sobor) in the Monastery of the Caves complex, which was blown up by retreating Soviet Red Army forces in September 1941, will also be restored to its historic design. On the same day that President Kuchma witnessed the topping of St. Michael Golden-Domed Sobor with a cross on its highest cupola, he also placed a time capsule in the foundation of the Dormition Cathedral. Both Orthodox churches are scheduled to be completed in time for the celebrations in Ukraine of the second millennium of Christianity.

Ukrainian Greek-Catholics also finally will have a church and monastery in Kyiv befitting their status as the second largest Christian confession in the country. Ground-breaking for St. Vasylii Church took place in July 1998, with construction scheduled to be completed by September 1999.

The non-traditional architectural design of the church, developed by architect Laryssa Skoryk, was the subject of some criticism from the Ukrainian diaspora, which has contributed more than $100,000 to the $600,000 project. Instead of the traditional domes and cupolas, the new church will incorporate a series of small roofs over the church called "dashky."

The church proper will have room for 400 to 500 worshippers, and the monastery will house about a dozen monks.

Churches were not the only cultural symbols going up in Kyiv in 1998. A long overdue memorial to Mykhailo Hrushevsky, historian, chairman of the Ukrainian Central Rada and president of the Ukrainian National Republic, was unveiled on December 1, the seventh anniversary of the Ukrainian referendum that upheld the August 24, 1991, declaration of independence.

The Hrushevsky memorial stands on a new city square adjoining the Kyiv Teachers' Building where the Ukrainian National Republic was proclaimed on January 22, 1918.

However historic or needed these building efforts were, the one that received the most publicity - and garnered the most controversy - was the renovation of the Kyiv city center during the summer months.

In a $25 million effort to rehabilitate Kyiv's main thoroughfare, the Khreschatyk, which hadn't seen a facelift since it was rebuilt after World War II, the street and adjoining sidewalks were uprooted and repaved, pedestrian underpasses were reconstructed, new light fixtures were installed above the street and on surrounding buildings and a fountain was built at the entrance to the Khreschatyk Passage.

Renovation plans began after workers discovered that 50-year-old communications and electrical cables buried below the street had deteriorated dangerously. The work was completed on August 16, in time for Ukrainian Independence Day a week later.

Kyiv Mayor Oleksander Omelchenko told reporters during a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tour of the Khreschatyk after work was completed that the two-month renovation blitz had transformed the historic strip into "a street as beautiful as any in Europe."

Allthough national deputies in the nation's Parliament did not voice disagreement with the Kyiv mayor's assertion, some did question the cost of the work at a time when the country was experiencing such difficult economic times and called for an investigative committee to be formed, which has not yet delivered its findings.

Kyiv residents also questioned the need for such an extravagant undertaking. While work proceeded on the Khreschatyk the most common statement heard from Kyivans was: "They can't pay back wages and pensions, but they can put marble in the underpasses."

The revitalization of the Khreschatyk was the second phase of a general sprucing up that Kyiv underwent in 1998. In the spring months, major city arteries were repaved, half-finished construction projects that had languished for years were completed, and many buildings in the city center were given a new coat of paint.

It was all done in preparation for Kyiv's first major international event: the board of governors meeting of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, a convention of European bankers and businessmen that Ukraine hoped would bring badly needed international investment.

Preparations also included the renovations of several Kyiv hotels to bring them up to world standards.

The convention went off without a hitch, and delegates left Kyiv impressed with the beauty of the city. At the closing press conference of the convention, EBRD Acting President Charles Frank said, "Kyiv can rest assured that it has gained many new admirers."

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