The Transfiguration Cathedral or Saviour-Transfiguration Cathedral () is the oldest building in
Chernihiv
Chernihiv (, ; , ) is a city and municipality in northern Ukraine, which serves as the administrative center of Chernihiv Oblast and Chernihiv Raion within the oblast. Chernihiv's population is
The city was designated as a Hero City of Ukraine ...
,
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
, and one of the few surviving
buildings of pre-Mongol Rus. It is located in
Dytynets Park.
History
Construction of the cathedral was started by Prince
Mstislav of Chernigov
Mstislav Vladimirovich (died ) was the earliest attested prince of Tmutarakan and Chernigov in Kievan Rus'. He was a younger son of Vladimir the Great, the grand prince of Kiev. His father appointed him to rule Tmutarakan, an important fortress ...
, and legend states that when Mstislav died in 1035 or 1036, the height of the walls were equal to the height of a horseman. It is unclear when the construction was completed. Mstislav was buried in the cathedral. The Transfiguration Cathedral was damaged in 1239, during the
Mongol invasion
The Mongol invasions and conquests took place during the 13th and 14th centuries, creating history's largest contiguous empire, the Mongol Empire (1206–1368), which by 1260 covered large parts of Eurasia. Historians regard the Mongol devastati ...
, renovated in the mid-17th century, burned down in the 18th century and was again renovated later. The current exterior stems from the end of the 19th century.
The architecture is unusual as it combines elements of a Roman basilica with a typical Byzantine church. It has three naves with three apses and five domes. There are two towers at the two sides of the main facade.
The cathedral has been on the
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
tentative list since 1989.
See also
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List of Churches and Monasteries in Chernihiv
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Ancient Chernihiv
References
External links
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{{Chernihiv
Tourist attractions in Chernihiv
Eastern Orthodox cathedrals in Ukraine
11th-century Eastern Orthodox church buildings
Churches in Chernihiv
Tourism in Chernihiv
Ukrainian Baroque church buildings