Renovation of St Sophia Cathedral to start in March
A package of repair and renovation works in the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv will continue on March 18, works will be held in the warm season according to technical recommendations.
This is reported by Ukrayinska Pravda with reference to the press service of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine.
“The architectural monument is maintained in complex engineering-geological and environmental conditions, in conditions of vibration-noise load, uncontrolled modern development and dangerous exploitation of highly worn engineering networks in the megacity,” the Ministry of Culture states.
According to the ministry, in 2019, in the first tier in the central part of the St. Sophia Cathedral, the provision is made for scaffoldings for inspection of mosaics, murals and oil paintings for the purpose of their further restoration and unveiling.
The work plan for the current year includes works on archaeological research of previously discovered historical fragments of the interior decoration of the cathedral with the installation of probing.
“It is planned to revamp the microclimate system of the Cathedral and the engineering systems of electric lighting, fire and security alarm systems, to set video surveillance systems,” the Ministry states.
The Ministry said that the UNESCO grant funds at the Cathedral planned to install a microclimate control system, a draft of the waterproofing of the base, drainage and restoration of the paving around St Sofia was planned and planned for implementation.
At the Ministry of Culture they say that St. Sophia Cathedral is “an architectural monument of the 11th century, which together with the architectural ensemble of monuments of the XI-XVIII centuries on its territory is included on the list of UNESCO World Heritage No. 1 from Ukraine.”
"Given the outstanding universal value of St. Sophia Cathedral ... and the commitments made by our state for its preservation as part of the cultural heritage of all mankind, it requires special attention and responsibility for ensuring a balanced regime of its maintenance,” they summed up.
