St. Michael Golden-Domed Monastery in Kiev

St. Michael Golden-Domed Monastery in Kiev, one of the oldest monasteries, attracts tourists with its history, architecture and rich decoration. The name "Golden-Domed" comes from ancient times: historians believe that such an epithet of the monastery was granted by the fact that it was the first monastery with golden dome. After it there appeared the sacred tradition – to gild churches, monasteries and cathedrals.

St. Michael Golden-Domed Monastery, founded by Metropolitan of Kiev, Mikhail, was badly damaged during the Mongol-Tatar invasion, the reconstruction took many years, but the current structure does not differ in architecture and style of its ancestor. Despite the heavy destruction there remained walls, the dome and the altar apse in the middle of the main temple, which miraculously survived up to this day. There also remained the fragments of ancient frescoes and mosaics, which are now the proud of the monastery.

In recent years, the fragments of frescoes, which were kept in Russia's Hermitage Museum, come back to St. Michael Golden-Domed Monastery so it becomes not only the famous architectural but also cultural monument. Unfortunately, the mosaics, carried to St. Sophia Cathedral, and the relics of the Great Martyr Barbara, carried to St. Vladimir's Cathedral, will not be returned to St. Michael Monastery.

The monastery is currently divided into male and female (the female was transferred to Podol of more than 3 centuries ago), and the monastery places the Kiev school of the clergy. Prior to the XVII century the monastery owned vast estates, which it lost with the creation of the Rzeczpospolita (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth), but most of the lands still was returned.

The monastery attracts tourists because of its history: more than 50 years required its reconstruction, the monastery was the burial place of the Kievan princes, and the archangel Michael, in whose honor the monastery was named, is considered the saint protector of Kiev. On the belfry of the monastery there are famous clock-chimes and unique musical instrument Carillon (due to the clockwork, the bells ring in the definite tonality, creating a unique melody).

Magnificent views, buildings, greenery, uneclipsed frescoes and wealth - all this makes the St. Michael Golden-Domed Monastery in Kiev a unique monument.