Description: Standing at the center of Kiev is the cathedral of St. Sophia, begun by Prince Iaroslav the Wise in 1037 in the image of Constantinople's Hagia Sophia. While St. Sophia's external appearance is defined by its Baroque cupolas rather than the original low domes, its interior boasts 2,800 square feet of original Byzantine mosaics and ten times as many wall paintings, all depicting Biblical themes.

Keywords: cathedral of St Sophia Kiev Ukraine eastern Europe former Soviet Union USSR St Sophia's cathedral Sofiya Kyivska Kyiv Kyyiv Knib Ukrayina basilica religion Christianty eastern Orthodoxy prince Iaroslav the wise Yaroslav Hagia Sophia pictures stock photos stock photography fine art photography.