46.5 million hryvnias for St. Sophia restoration

A total of 46.5 million hryvnias will be allocated for the restoration and rehabilitation of the historical and cultural preserve “Sophia Kyivska” in 2006, reports www.for-ua.com, citing the press service of the Ministry of Construction, Architecture, and Municipal Housing Services. According to the press service, this is the first time in the history of independent Ukraine that such a large sum will be spent on the restoration of St. Sophia’s. For this purpose the state budget will part with five million hryvnias, or one-fifth of the appropriations intended for the restoration of monuments. The municipal budget will furnish 26.5 million, and the Donetsk region will supply 15 million in the form of philanthropic contributions. The project’s top priority tasks include the restoration of the metropolitan’s building on the premises of St. Sophia. The engineering networks must be completely replaced immediately. Several unique monuments of mosaic art are in dire condition. “Therefore, it is very important to choose a technology that will make it possible to preserve for ages the unique mosaic art that we inherited from ancient times. Today our shrine requires serious restoration and rehabilitation,” reports the press service. According to the preserve’s estimates, the restoration requires some 250,000 hryvnias, an amount that Sophia Kyivska can ill afford.