Description of the attraction
Starokievskaya Gorka is the ancient historical center of Kiev. It was here, according to legend, that more than one and a half thousand years ago, the Slavic leader Kiy with his brothers and sister founded the city. The memorial sign installed here also reminds of this. The sign displays the famous phrase “Where did the Russian land come from”, expressed by Nestor the Chronicler in his Tale of Bygone Years.
The remains of the princely palaces are still preserved on this mountain, for example, the foundation of the palace that belonged to Princess Olga is in a fairly good condition. There is also a more famous foundation of the Tithe Church, which was the first stone church on the territory of Kievan Rus. This temple was erected at one time by Vladimir the Great, just at the place where the holy martyrs Theodore the Varyag and their son John had previously perished. The Tithe Church got its name due to the fact that the prince allocated a tenth of his income for its construction and maintenance.
This church existed for a relatively short time and died in 1240 during the capture of Kiev by the troops of Khan Batu (the last defenders of the city held their defenses here). They tried to restore the church in the 19th century, but it was only the imagination of the architects, since no drawings or even descriptions of the church have survived. It is not surprising that during the years of Soviet power, the temple was not considered a historical monument and was destroyed.
Today, there is still debate about whether it is worth restoring the temple. Most experts agree that it is now impractical to restore the Tithe Church, and not only for purely architectural reasons, but due to friction between different denominations over the temple. The most acceptable option is the creation of a laser hologram with the image of the temple.
