Metropolitan’s house, Sophia of Kyiv

From the beginning of the founding of St. Sophia’s Cathedral (in the first half of the 11th century), next to it was the metropolitan residence with the oldest library and scriptorium – a workshop where they translated and rewrote books “from Greek to Slavic writing.” Even after the metropolitan see was transferred from Kyiv (1300), St. Sophia of Kyiv remained the metropolitan residence, in which every new Russian primate had to enter the rank. At the cathedral there was a metropolitan court, where the metropolitans lived during their stay in Kyiv.

The place of the Metropolitan’s house and courtyard in the architectural ensemble of the St. Sophia Cathedral was finally determined in the 17th century. On the plan of Kyiv in 1695, in the southwestern part of the monastery courtyard, there is a wooden metropolitan house that has not been preserved – it burned down during a fire that occurred in the St. Sophia Cathedral in 1697.

Stone bishops’ quarters began to be built during the stay at the Kyiv cathedra of the Archbishop of Kyiv and Varlaam of Halitsiia (Vanatovych, 1722-1730), during which the first floor was built. His successor, the archbishop, from 1743, Metropolitan Rafail (Zaborovskyi, 1733-1747) built the second floor. The construction was completed by Metropolitan Tymofii (Shcherbatskyi, 1747-1757), who built the attic floor and installed magnificent baroque pediments on the eastern and western facades.

For two hundred years, the Metropolitan’s house served as the residence of the Metropolitans of Kyiv and Halitsiia, who lived there permanently or temporarily. Solemn receptions were held here, during which the archpastor met with the highest dignitaries of the secular authorities and other distinguished guests, as well as the personal quarters of Vladyka (study, living room, dining room, bedroom, and others), and a house church functioned. In addition, the House placed separate divisions of the institution, which, together with the metropolitan, managed the economy and estates that belonged to the Kyiv cathedra. In the middle of the 18th century, it was called the Kyiv-Sofia Metropolitan House, later – the Sophia Bishops’ House, the Metropolitan’s House.

After the October Revolution of 1917, the functional purpose of the building changed radically. Various institutions and organizations were located here: the Department of Confessions of the Ukrainian People’s Republic (later – the “Ministry of Confessions of the Ukrainian State”, “Ministry of Cults”, “Ministry of Religions”; 1918 – 1919), Ukrainian Architectural Institute (1918 – 1924), All-Ukrainian Historical Museum religious cult (1924 – 30 years), commandant’s office of Kyiv (1930s).

In 1944, the Metropolitan’s House was transferred to the Academy of Architecture, a multidisciplinary scientific institution that included research institutes, experimental workshops, a scientific library, an architecture museum and other units (most of them were located on the territory of St. Sophia of Kyiv). After the liquidation of the Academy in 1962, the scientific library continued to function (until 1985) in the Metropolitan’s House – the leading library on construction and architecture, the only institution of the Academy that continues its activities in our time.

In the future, the building was busy by various services of the Sofia Reserve. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, complex scientific studies of the monument were carried out.

In 2008, after a large-scale restoration and rehabilitation, the Museum “Metropolitan’s House” hospitably opened its doors to visitors. The exposition of the museum tells about the life and ministry of the Kyiv Metropolitans, who lived and worked here in the 18th-early 20th centuries, highlights the contribution to the history and culture of Ukraine of individuals whose activities are connected with the House in the 20th century. In addition to the museum purpose, the monument is used for conferences, seminars, presentations and other cultural and educational events.

National Sanctuary “Sofia of Kyiv”

Photo: Metropolitan’s House Museum