St.Michael's Golden-domed Cathedral

St. Michael's is at the top of the funicular and also a short walk from St. Andrew's. Originally built by Prince Sviatopolk in 1108, this cathedral was destroyed by the Soviet regime in the mid-1930s in keeping with their anti-religion programme. Its reconstruction was championed by ambitious Kyiv mayor Oleksander Omelchenko and completed in May 2000. The sky blue exterior and glittering golden domes are certainly stunning, even though up close it all seems a bit too new and shiny for this ancient city. Another reminder, albeit a much smaller one, of the Communists' inhuman policies is to the right as you exit the church grounds. This monument to the millions of Ukrainian victims of the Great Famine mentions only the years it took place: 1932-1933. Farther out in the square, the statues of Princess Olha, Apostle Andriy, St. Cyrill and St. Methodius were also reconstructed in 1996.