St. Michael's golden-domed cathedral

Originally built by Prince Sviatopolk in 1108, this cathedral was destroyed by the Soviet regime in the mid-1930s in keeping with their anti-religious programme. In our hard times, the reconstruction of St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral is a sign of spiritual rebirth of Kiev - the cradle of Russian Christianity and all Ukraine, as a civilized European state. Its reconstruction was completed in May 2000. The sky blue exterior and glittering golden domes seem a bit too new and shiny for this ancient city and are certainly stunning. Another reminder of the Communists' inhuman policies is to the right as you exit the church. This monument is to the millions of Ukrainian victims of the Great Famine in 1932-1933. The monument is com­posed of a granite stone with recess made in a form of the cross and bronze effigy of Mother-Ukraine with a child. Farther out in the square, the statues of Princess Olha, Apostle Andriy, St. Cyrill and St. Methodius were also reconstructed in 1996.