Catholic Cathedral of St. Sophia description and photos - Ukraine: Zhytomyr (Topic)

Catholic Cathedral of St. Sophia description and photos - Ukraine: Zhitomir. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photos and a map showing the nearest significant objects.

Photo and description

One of the main architectural landmarks of the city of Zhitomir is the Catholic Cathedral of Saint Sophia, which is located in the historical heart of the city, on Zamkovaya Hill, at 12a Cathedral Street.

The construction of the Hagia Sophia was begun in 1731 thanks to the initiative of Bishop S. Ozhig. The construction of the temple was completed in 1751, after which a magnificent majestic cathedral appeared before the inhabitants of the city, which was made in a successful combination of two styles - baroque and late Renaissance. A 26-meter bell tower was erected to the north-east of the temple. The facade of the Cathedral of St. Sophia is divided into two tiers and is crowned with austere towers. The powerful brick walls of the temple are about 2 meters thick. The second tier of the cathedral and the tower are decorated with rustic materials: from the outside, the walls are faced with roughly hewn stones. The perfect appearance of the cathedral is complemented by the Tuscan and Ionic orders - these are architectural compositions that consist of horizontal and vertical bearing parts, including a cornice and a frieze, as well as towers decorated with rusts.

In the 19th century, the Cathedral of Hagia Sophia was reconstructed, after which the classical style began to prevail in its architecture. However, the interior decoration of the church, stucco molding and wall paintings have been preserved without any changes.

Today the Zhytomyr Catholic Cathedral of St. Sophia is one of the oldest monuments of architecture of national importance, which has survived to this day. In addition, it is a full-fledged operating temple in which solemn services are held. With its majesty, the cathedral attracts a huge number of citizens and tourists.

In 2011, a monument to Pope John Paul II was erected in front of the Hagia Sophia.

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Topic: Catholic Cathedral of St. Sophia description and photos - Ukraine: Zhytomyr.