Description of the attraction
One of the main architectural sights of the city of Zhitomir is the Catholic Cathedral of St. Sophia, which is located in the historical heart of the city, on the Castle Hill, along the Cathedral street, 12a.
The construction of the Hagia Sophia was started back in 1731 thanks to the initiative of Bishop S. Ozhig. The construction of the temple was completed in 1751, after which a magnificent majestic cathedral appeared before the inhabitants of the city, which was made in a successful combination of two styles - Baroque and Late Renaissance. A 26-meter bell tower was erected to the northeast of the temple. The facade of the Cathedral of St. Sophia is divided into two tiers and crowned with austere towers. The powerful brick walls of the temple are about 2 meters thick. The second tier of the cathedral and the tower are finished with rustic materials: from the outside, the walls are faced with roughly hewn stones. The perfect appearance of the cathedral is complemented by the Tuscan and Ionic orders - these are architectural compositions that consist of horizontal and vertical load-bearing parts, including cornice and frieze, as well as rusticated towers.
In the 19th century, the Hagia Sophia Cathedral was reconstructed, after which the classical style began to prevail in its architecture. However, the interior decoration of the temple, stucco molding and wall paintings have been preserved without any changes.
Today the Zhytomyr Catholic Cathedral of St. Sophia is one of the oldest monuments of architecture of national importance, which has survived to this day. In addition, it is a full-fledged operating temple in which solemn services are held. With its majesty, the cathedral attracts a huge number of townspeople and tourists.
In 2011, a monument to Pope John Paul II was erected in front of the Hagia Sophia.
