St Michael's Golden Domed Cathedral, Kiev, Ukraine

The original, built by Prince Sviatopolk in 1108, was destroyed by the Soviet regime in the 1930s for having "no historical value." The reconstructed cathedral was completed in May 2000. Its sky blue exterior and glittering golden domes add a stunning layer to a cityscape that has become a mix-mash of crumbling ancient and newly reconstructed. A sobering reminder of Stalin's inhumane policies stands to the right as you exit the church grounds. This is a monument to the victims of Holodomor (starvation): A famine orchestrated in part by the Soviet leadership in an attempt to squash the peasantry, as many as 10 million Ukrainians perished from 1932-33. Keeping watch over the square are the reconstructed statues of Princess Olga, Apostle Andrew, St. Cyrill and St. Mephodius.
© Kyiv In Your Pocket, 2011