Description of the attraction
Cyril's Church was built in the middle of the 12th century on the outskirts of ancient Kiev - Dorogozhichi. The church was named after Saint Cyril, one of the Slavic enlighteners. The construction was started by the Chernigov prince Vsevolod Olgovich, and after his death, the construction was completed by his widow, Maria Mstislavovna. For representatives of the Olgovichi dynasty, the temple became a family burial vault. In 1194, the Kiev prince Svyatoslav, the hero of the old Russian poem "The Lay of Igor's Host", was buried here.
During its existence, the Church of St. Cyril has been desolate many times, repaired and renewed several times. After the reconstructions of the 17th-18th centuries. the ancient St. Cyril Church received a modern appearance with the characteristic features of Baroque architecture.
In the 60s of the 19th century, fresco paintings of the 12th century were discovered on the walls of the temple under the plaster of the 18th century. From the murals of the 17th century, a portrait of Hegumen Innokenty Monastyrsky has been preserved. In 1884, at the request of the church, the open ancient frescoes were again rewritten with oil paints - the painting was done by the famous Russian artist Mikhail Vrubel. For the marble iconostasis, Vrubel painted several icons.
