Assignments

I. Describe historical places of Kyiv.

Sofiysky ( st.Sophia`s ) cathedral

St. Sophia's Cathedral was constructed in 1031 in hon­our of Prince Yaroslav the Wise's victory over the Pecheneg tribe. It was the main metropolitan church of Kyivan Rus – Ukraine. Ceremonies to designate envoys, public meet­ings, and the writing of chronicles took place here. The first library in Kyivan Rus was located here. The cathedral bears a resemblance to Byzantine constructions, but there is no direct analogy. The original forms of the Romanesque style were preserved until the 17th century. The church facades were not plastered and were embellished with decorative niches, ornaments, and paintings. The interior reveals the harmonious union of mosaics and fresco paintings in a style similar to the Byzantine capital style. Religious and secular themes predominate. Of great value are the decorative works of the 11th century: the Metropolitan's chair, choir loft. The interior of the cathedral is also embellished with fresco ornamentation, mosaic pavement, marble decorations, etc. The cathedral contained the tomb of the Grand Kyivan Princes: Yaroslav the Wise, Vsevolod, Rostyslav, and Volodymyr Monomakh were buried here (only the sarcophagus of Yaro­slav the Wise has been preserved). After the Tatar-Mongol invasion of 1240, the cathedral gradually fell into ruins. In the 16th century Greek Catholic priests served Mass here. In the 1630s–1640s the Kyivan Metropolitan Petro Mohyla founded a monastery in the cathedral. He engaged the Italian architect O.Mancini to work on its restoration. In 1685–1707 the cathedral was rebuilt in the Ukrainian Baroque style. A Baroque iconostasis was built in 1731–1747. St.Sophia's Cathedral is a masterpiece of world architecture.

Notes

ceremony – переможець

to designate – визначати, призначати

envoy – посланець

resemblance – схожість

to plaster – штукатурити

to embellish – прикрашати

harmonious – гармонійний

secular – світський, мирський

loft choir – хори (в церкві)

invasion – вторгнення

Assignments

I. Read and translate the text into Ukrainian.

II. Render the text in English.

KYYEVO-PECHERSKA LAVRA

A Ukrainian Orthodox monastery was founded in 1051 by the monks Antoniy and Feodosiy. In the 11th century it be­came the center for the expansion and consolidation of Chris­tianity in Kyivan Rus – Ukraine. The chroniclers Nykon, Nestor, Sylvester, the artists Alimpiy, Hryhoriy, and the healer, Ahapit, at one time worked in the monastery. In 1240 it was looted and destroyed by the Tatar-Mongol armies of Khan Baty.

The monastery was again destroyed in 1480.

In 1615 an imprimery was located at the monastery. In the late 16th century it was designated a Lavra (monas­tery). The architectural ensemble attained completion in the mid-18th century. The majority of the structures is built in the Ukrainian Baroque style. The ensemble is organically linked to the relief and forms a beautiful and majestic sil houette of Kyiv from the Dnipro River side. In 1926 the Kyivan Cave Historical-Cultural Preserve was established on the premises of the monastery.

Notes

soil – земля, грунт

handiwork – ручна робота, рукоділля

metric – метричний

weight – вага

to enter – записувати

satisfactory – задовільно

to last – тривати

to run – керувати

choir –хор

although – хоч

to supervise – наглядати

to care for – піклуватися, доглядати