St. Volodymyr cathedral «Chersonese Taurica» national reserve

    Among remarkable memorials which rise from ruins by forces of «Ukrrestoration» corporation, it is necessary to remind, first of all, the majestic Volodymyr Cathedral in Chersonese. The history has connected on this sacred land the destiny of Pope Kliment, Cyril and Methodius, who gave to Eastern Slavs the alphabet and grammar, and Saint prince Volodymyr the Great. 
    Here, according to the legend, in 987 the Kyiv prince Volodymyr was christened in an old basilica. And one year later, having returned to Kyiv, he christened the Kyivan Rus, having declared for the whole world about a birth of the new Christian state. The Kyivan Rus quickly developed and has declared itself to the world as a powerful civilized country. For 17 years of Volodymyr reign have got fortified borders, became steady trading and economic communications with the West countries, was founded tens new cities and temples, in particular, famous Desiatynna church in Kyiv.
    In ХІХ the item during excavations on the main area to Chersonese have found a tower, having assumed, that is a part of city defensive bulwarks. But it was found out later, that it is an apse of the central cathedral church. There was found christening basin of VІ cen. Then archeological searches were activated and in due course it has shown the residues of a wooden basilica of St. Basil where the Kyivan prince Volodymyr was christened and got married. On this place the Cathedral have constructed.
    Therefore for many believers this temple became a symbol and a basis of Orthodoxy, a cradle of orthodox belief on Rus - Ukraine. 
    The Volodymyr’s cathedral in Chersonese has been founded in 1861. The newly built Cathedral should become a symbol of a spiritual, cultural and political heredity between Constantinople and Kyiv, a symbol of parental belief. Means for its construction was deposited from all part of Russian empire. 
    About an extreme place which this temple in the state should occupy, testified the fact of solemn foundation ceremony of the Cathedral occurred at the presence of imperial family and the emperor Alexander ІІ which by his own hand put in pawn the first stone of the future temple and put on it ten-ruble gold coin. A symbol of assignment of the Volodymyr Cathedral became the kept residues basilica of Volodymyr the Great which have preserved and have kept in the bottom church. 
    Construction of the Cathedral has finished in 10 years, and the equipment of interiors last till 1883. Both from the outside and inside the temple was wealthy decorated: it is enough to be mentioned that a marble for columns, for the iconostasis and altars brought from the best deposits of Italy and Greece. Also from different rocks of marble mosaic flooring were stated. Facades were magnificently decorated with grooves on stone and walls are decorated with paintings and ornamental panels. The painter of the temple walls was remarkable artists of that time: the academician of painting A.Korzukhin which also decorated temple of Crist the Savior in Moscow, professor T.Neff, and other masters.
    During the Second world war in 1942 the Volodymyr’s Cathedral has destroyed significantly: the tholobate with cupola has fallen, have failed floorings, in walls cracks have appeared, and the refined frame of the interior almost was lost completely. There was also destroyed ancient part of the Cathedral with the arch. The bases of basilica and wall of the temple have escaped only, and later they gradually collapsed. 
    But even dilapidated St. Volodymyr's cathedral remained one of the most majestic historical and cultural relics of our people. The silent reproach for us, descendants of the Volodymyr the Great, was its destroyed walls with grown grass and trees. It was required 56 years for historical justice to be taken place. On December, 21, 1998, in a column of the delapidated cathedral the symbolical capsule which means the beginning of works on renewal of the temple on the sacred land of Chersonese has been put.
    As a result of restoration works by «Ukrrestoration» corporation it was executed basic structural components (the arch, cupola), preservation of elements of designs of two tiered passageways, the western projection, and the central and lateral apses is carried out. Also at restoration of facades the columns have restored, the destroyed stone blocks of walls have been replaced with new of local limestone, and damaged ones repaired. 
    Uniqueness of a construction could not be influence the complexity of its reconstructing, in fact, in due time, the Cathedral was built so to say, "in dry", without solution. Stones were smoothed so that between them it could not be put even knife. In world restoration practice till this time there were no similar analogues of restoration of losses of bearing structures from limestone blocks in volume up to 0,5 cubic meters each. It is necessary to note, that blocks were stacked, practically, without a solution, with individual adjustment directly on site installation as it was made over100 years ago.
    After finishing the basic construction works on July, 28, 2001, in Day of St. prince Volodymyr, solemn sanctification and establishments of the cross on the cupola of reconstructed Cathedral has taken place.
    Then the restorers have begun an internal finishing work. The special attention was focused on restoration in an original form of the refined interior of the Cathedral. The Ukrainian experts together with Italian have made everything that carved marble iconostasis of Volodymyr’s become the best not only in Ukraine, and in Europe. Under the samples, which were kept, have renewed art mosaic floor. As before, interiors of the temple decorated with marble barrier walls, balustrades, figured church chandeliers and other architectonic component parts. Existing wall painting was restored according to restoration techniques, and places of losses were toned, wall painting have restored according to archives materials. In general it has painted over1500 sq. m of the temple, thus modern paints, gold and platinum were used. Many works, including, carving, were carried out manually.
    Also in the winter of 2004, it have been carried out works on gilding cupola of the Cathedral that it was not realized earlier. Simultaneously with it the wooden Bell Tower on its historical place has been reproduced also.
    At the end by special means of art lighting it was emphasized a silhouette of the temple, which has made as ornament of environmental landscape of city at night. Now the cathedral again carries out the function of coastal reference point for navigation.