Fazal Ahmad, London, UK
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Belief: Christianity
Era: 1078 CE
The Dormition Cathedral forms part of the Kyiv Caves Lavra (Monastery of the Caves) monastery complex in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. It is a symbol of the people and continuity of faith in Ukraine.
Before the advent of Christianity, Ukrainians were part of a wider Slavic tradition in Europe who worshipped a pantheon of deities including Perun (thunder), Svarog (sky), Dazhboh (sun), Mokosh (earth) and Veles (underworld). This was a mixture of pagan and animist beliefs.
Early Christian missions are thought to have reached the Crimea in southern Ukraine in the 1st century CE. There was ongoing contact for centuries before Saints Cyril and Methodius began their missionary work into Slavic regions of Europe. Orthodox Christianity was formally established in Ukraine in 988 CE when Grand Prince Vladimir the Great made it the state religion and early adherents were baptised in the Dnipro River.
Although Eastern Christianity was now the formal faith in Ukraine, many rural areas preserved a syncretic mixture of their old and new beliefs that still has echoes today in customs and practices and the Rodnovery revivalist movement.
The Cathedral was originally built under the auspices of Theodosius of Kyiv from 1073 to 1078 CE who introduced monasticism of the region including Orthodox Christians across Russia and Ukraine.
The Cathedral complex was damaged many times in its history such as during the earthquake of 1230 CE, the siege of Kyiv in 1240 CE, the Crimean raid in 1482 CE, a fire in 1718 CE, during World War II and more recently in an ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
During the Soviet Era when the Communist Party was opposed to formal religion, the Church as with many mosques across the Soviet Union, was closed to worshippers. The monastery was actually turned into an anti-religious museum in 1928 CE, but with the fall of the Soviet Union and the independence of Ukraine, work began to restore the Cathedral in 1995 and it was reopened to worshippers in 2000 CE.
The Dormition Cathedral complex is considered one of the holiest sites of the Orthodox Church and is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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