Savior-Transfiguration Cathedral

Saviour Transfiguration Cathedral is a unique temple of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is located in one of the most ancient towns of Kyivan Rus’ – Zhytomyr, on Peremogy Street, 19. It is one of architectural monuments C19th and is under state protection.

To find out its history we should go back in time to the year of 1771, when Vasilian Church was destroyed and replaced by a new one – Saviour Transfiguration Cathedral, which collapsed after a few years of its construction. As people say, it was built of defective materials and others argue they shouldn’t build an Orthodox church on the place where Greek Catholic church previously had been. In 1851 architects Karl Rokhau, Ernest Gibert and Varlam Shalamov made the second attempt to build the cathedral and reached success creating the main temple of Volhynia those times.

Everyone who comes to see this majestic building of 53 meters high is surprised with its grandeur in Russian-Byzantine style with features of ancient architecture C11th-12th. The temple has a cross-shape with five domes and three naves. Next to the church you might notice a four-storey belfry with the main bell of 500 pounds on its top. Locals say you can hear its dinging 20 kilometres away from the cathedral.

Go inside the temple and your attention will be attracted by three altars: Transfiguration of Our Lord, St Vladimir Equal to the Apostles and St Alexander Nevs’kyi. The luxurious interior is rich and incredibly beautiful, as granite and labradorite of Zhytomyr and Volhynia were used for its decorations.

In Saviour Transfiguration Cathedral you’ll see icons painted by Mikhail Vasyliev. It is known, for a long time an ancient image was kept here. It was St Vasyl the Great Image brought from Byzantium by Prince Vladimir after his christening in Greece. Unfortunately this ancient image disappeared in 1936...