CATHEDRAL BROUGHT BACK FROM OBLIVION

St. Michael’s Cathedral was consecrated May 28. The ceremony was attended by the President, Prime Minister, numerous MPs, ministers, and Kyiv Mayor Oleksandr Omelchenko. The rite was performed by Patriarch Filaret of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Kyiv Patriarchate, assisted by archpriests, clergymen, and Archimandrite Dymytry (Rudiuk), the newlyappointed Vicar of St. Michael’s Cathedral. St. Sophia’s Square and Monastery Park were packed with residents, believers and the curious alike, trying to get inside the cathedral and glimpse the new decor, icons, and mosaic. Here and there in the crowd even tighter knots formed round those who could comment on the temple’s history, its construction, ignominious destruction, and “resurrection.”

There it stood, its golden domes reaching for the sky, its bells ringing out over the Dnipro, embarking on a new life, 887 years after the original consecration. The interior decoration is still to be completed, although the central nave, altar, and the space under the cupola shine with the refined baroque gold of the holy gates, adding to the rainbow of mosaic colors that seem to have just been applied by 12th century Byzantine artisans. To non-Ukrainians, the variety of painting styles and lack of accord with the mosaic patterns strike a slightly discordant note. Whereas the central part of the temple is done mostly in the “Old Rus’” or quasi- Byzantine style, St. Catherine’s chapel has a classical Western style. However, such eclecticism (it suffices to remember St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral) is not uncommon in Ukrainian churches. In the side naves work on the images of St. Catherine and St. Barbara will be completed toward the end of the year

Restoration and consecration of St. Michael’s Cathedral, a project started literally from scratch, could have made a stronger public impact and turned into a more festive and memorable event but for two circumstances. First, the rift in the once single Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which has split into three hostile Churches. Animosity is such that a joyous occasion for one of the Churches is regarded by the adherents of the others as almost a tragedy. I know of only one archpriest from another Church who felt sincerely happy listening to St. Michael’s bells — the late Patriarch Dymytry of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church.

Secondly, and perhaps more important is the overall economic situation, which is impoverishing a large part of the populace. This inevitably casts a shadow over such a ceremony, and leads one to wonder if those in power have a right to spend so much on projects which do not raise the standard of living. On the one hand, the obvious answer is htat such ceremonies are wrong, but on the other hand there are the words from the New Testament: man shall not live by bread alone. Proof of this maxim came from the thousands of people gathered on Triokhsviatytelska St. — some of whom had travelled to Kyiv for the occasion. A middle-aged man, obviously a devout believer, told me, “Nothing can be as magnificent as this temple and its restoration. I have seen it and now I can depart this world in peace.” Another added, “I am prepared to live on dry crusts, just so things like that happen more often in this country.”

№18 June 06 2000 «The Day»
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