Abstract

The article is dedicated to the research of the loss of important architectural and compositional elements in Kyiv architectural monuments of the Ukrainian Baroque of the XVIIth – XVIIIth centuries. The author analyzes the architectural development of such Kyiv buildings as the Onufriivska Tower and the Church of Conception of Ann of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, the Resurrection Church, the st. Illia Church, the Temple of Nikolas, the Intercession Church, the Old Building of the Kyiv-Mohyla academy, cookhouse and Church of the Holy Spirit of the Brotherly Epiphany Monastery, St. Sophia Cathedral, Church of the Ascension of the Phlor’s Monastery. All these objects have common destiny because of loss of their important Baroque details during XVIII–XIX centuries. Instead, they gained the forms of other styles, which did not detract from the national signs of these monuments. Such changes were made for various reasons: changes in fashion and styles in architecture, functional and utilitarian needs. However, such transformations were often anti-Ukrainian in nature, and they even ended up replacing Ukrainian symbols with Moscow ones. Let us highlight this very incident with the butt of the story: the reconstruction of the St. Sophia Cathedral in 1882. This unique monument and shrine was adorned with characteristic elements of the Ukrainian Baroque – sloping pediments on western and eastern façades. In fact, the temple was redecorated with elements of Byzantine and Russian architecture. During the Soviet time, the practice of replacing Ukrainian architectural symbols with Russian ones continued. Let us illustrate this with the example of the Ascension Cathedral of the Phlor’s Monastery in Podil. For a long time, researches did not pay attention on such a facts, but now it is time to restore justice to our national symbols. In the author’s opinion, today it is necessary to carry out in-depth research on historical monuments with a view to developing a concept and developing large-scale restoration projects that would restore their original beauty and completeness.

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