Changes in planning and building of the cathedral's estate

N.I.Zharkikh

The priests of St. Sophia Cathedral took part in first Kiev construction fever. Along the perimeter of the quarter, on land owned by the cathedral, built a series of 3-5-storey tenement houses, which are fenced off the ensemble of the Cathedral from the surrounding area. The point in this process has put the Bolsheviks, when demolished (1934) St. George's church and in its place built a huge six-storey residential building for the officers of the Kiev Special Military District.

In soviet time all the buildings of ensemble were nationalized and got new owners. For example, the Metropolitan Palace and other buildings used for a long time by the governing building authorities of Ukraine; northwest building cells (bursa) was used by archival institutions, and now it occupied by the Central Archive-Museum of Literature and Arts of Ukraine.

After the final liquidation of Sophia Parish (1934), the cathedral and bell tower were transferred to the newly formed Sophia reserve, which in early 21 cent. concentrated under its management most of the buildings of the ensemble. Reserve provided a scientific restoration of these buildings, which is highly commendable.

However, the houses on the perimeter of the quarter in this period (1969 – early 21 cent.) were added, which exacerbated the situation of urban development around it.

From the Zaborovsky's gate preserved only the south-west pylon. Photo N.I.Zharkikh, June 24, 2005	Built up in the supposed original form Zaborovsky's gate. Photo N.I.Zharkikh, March 19, 2012

In 2008 – 2010 years restored to the proposed original form Zaborovsky's gate.

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