Desyatinnaya church - the lost Ukrainian shrine

The tithe church is one of the most ancient temples erected on the territory of modern Kiev right after the baptism of Rus. It was built by Prince Vladimir. The temple was built only 5 years, from 991 to 996. Unfortunately, his fate was rather tragic, as early as 1240 he ceased to exist. Some remains of the church have survived to this day and are now in the manor of the Historical Museum.

At a time when Christianity in Russia was just beginning, the construction of the church was of great importance. It was built on the model of the Constantinople church at the court of the emperor. The tithe church was built by specially invited masters from Byzantium from completely new finishing materials. The place for its erection was chosen not by chance. There used to be two Christian martyrs killed by pagans. To redeem this sin, Prince Vladimir decided to build a church.

The tithe church is called that way, because the prince allocated a tenth of his property for building temples, and she was the main treasury. It is known that its structure and dimensions were very impressive, better than this church was only Sophia of Kiev. Many written sources of those times called the Tithe church marble, apparently because it had many columns, frescoes and mosaics made of marble. By decorative design, it was one of the best.

The tithe church in Kiev initially guarded the peace of Prince Vladimir and his wife Anna, as well as Princess Olga. A little later, the remains of Oleg and Yaropolk were transferred - the brothers Vladimir, and then Izyaslav Yaroslavovich and Rostislav Mstislavovich. The temple did not last long, in 1240 the Khan Baty attacked Kievan Rus with his accrued army. All the people of Kiev tried to hide in the church, but she could not stand such a load, the walls collapsed, burying all the people under them.

Desyatinnaya church (or rather its ruins) stood up to the XIX century. Several attempts were made to study it. Archaeologists noted that the walls of the temple are covered with inscriptions in the Greek language. During the excavations, they found also sarcophagi with the remains of the princes, as well as gold ornaments that were on them.

Desyatinnuyu church repeatedly tried to revive. First it happened in 1636, then a small temple was built; And in the 30s of the 19th century a new tithe church was built, but in architecture it did not at all resemble its predecessor. Many Kievites considered it a disgrace and an insult to the great church of Prince Vladimir. Therefore, no one was very upset when in 1936 the church was completely destroyed, dismantled on a brick.

In 2005, the government signed a decree on the restoration of such an architectural monument and Ukrainian shrine, as the Church of the Tithes. Kiev is a great city with dozens of beautiful temples, but, nevertheless, having raised this church from ruins, it will become even more beautiful and interesting. But the fate of the temple is not yet known, since construction has not yet begun. There is a fierce debate over what the Tithe Church should be like to restore its original appearance or build an entirely new structure. Whether the parties will come to a compromise, and whether the shrine will be erected, only time will show.