National Reserve “Sophia of Kyiv”. Ukraine’s first UNESCO site – the 11th-century St. Sophia Cathedral with the Oranta mosaic

The bell tower of St. Sophia’s
The Oranta mosaic in the apse of St. Sophia Cathedral
St. Sophia Cathedral with its green and golden domes from above
The domes of St. Sophia Cathedral
The Metropolitan’s House at St. Sophia’s
The mosaic of Christ Pantocrator in the dome of St. Sophia Cathedral
The bell tower of St. Sophia’sThe Oranta mosaic in the apse of St. Sophia CathedralSt. Sophia Cathedral with its green and golden domes from aboveThe domes of St. Sophia CathedralThe Metropolitan’s House at St. Sophia’s

St. Sophia Cathedral is the first landmark in Ukraine to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is more than a thousand years old: the cathedral was founded by Yaroslav the Wise in the early 11th century, and it still preserves original mosaics and frescoes from that time. The national reserve unites the cathedral and the 18th-century monastery ensemble on Sofiiska Square in the very center of Kyiv.

Why visit

  • Ukraine’s first landmark on the UNESCO World Heritage List, inscribed back in 1990
  • The 6-meter Oranta mosaic beneath the dome – an 11th-century original that has survived on the wall to this day
  • More than 7000 medieval graffiti on the walls, including the autograph of Prince Volodymyr Monomakh
  • A 7 by 7 meter mosaic panel of 15 thousand painted wooden Easter eggs, lit from within
  • The reserve unites four Kyiv landmarks: the cathedral, the Golden Gate, St. Cyril’s Church and St. Andrew’s Church
  • The cathedral is more than a thousand years old – it was founded by Prince Yaroslav the Wise in the early 11th century

Good to know

Grounds admission is separate from the museums
Admission to the grounds (without visiting the sites) costs UAH 50, reduced UAH 25. Admission to St. Sophia Cathedral itself (1st and 2nd floors, exhibition halls) costs UAH 250, reduced UAH 125.
The combined ticket is better value if you see everything
The combined ticket (cathedral, Metropolitan’s House, Bell Tower, Khlibnia, Refectory, Zaborovsky Gate) costs UAH 500, reduced UAH 250. The family ticket (2 adults + up to 2 children under 14) costs UAH 1,000.
Individual sites can also be visited separately
St. Sophia Bell Tower – UAH 100. Khlibnia exhibition halls – UAH 100. Metropolitan’s House Museum – UAH 100. Zaborovsky Gate – UAH 50.
7-day Museum Pass
The Museum Pass (UAH 500, reduced UAH 300) is valid for 7 days and covers the grounds of the St. Sophia Museum, the cathedral, the Metropolitan’s House, the Golden Gate and St. Cyril’s Church – good value if you plan to see several sites of the reserve over several visits.
Opening hours
The museum is open from 10:00 to 18:00, box office and entry until 17:30. The reserve grounds are open to visitors until 19:00.
No animals
Animals are not allowed at the reserve’s sites.
Reduced rate – with a document
Reduced tickets are available to school and university students and pensioners with the relevant document. Some eligible groups get in free – ask at the reserve box office for details.
Professional photo and video – separately
Filming ceremonies and celebrations on the grounds of the St. Sophia Museum and inside the 1st floor of the Metropolitan’s House costs UAH 1,500 per hour per device.
Getting there
Sofiiska Square, right in the center of Kyiv. Nearest metro stations: Zoloti Vorota or Maidan Nezalezhnosti, a few minutes’ walk.

The National Reserve “Sophia of Kyiv” is not just a cathedral but a group of museums. In Kyiv it includes the St. Sophia Museum on Sofiiska Square (the cathedral itself, the bell tower, the Metropolitan’s House, the Zaborovsky Gate and the Khlibnia exhibition halls), as well as three separate landmarks in other parts of the city: the Golden Gate, St. Cyril’s Church and St. Andrew’s Church. The cathedral’s greatest treasure is its original 11th-century mosaics and frescoes, preserved right on the walls rather than in museum cases. Beneath the central dome is the 6-meter Oranta mosaic: the Virgin with her arms raised high, who looks different from different angles – now bowed in prayer, now kneeling. The cathedral also has a modern 7×7-meter mosaic panel made of 15 thousand painted wooden Easter eggs and lit from within. More than 7000 graffiti from the 11th–18th centuries have survived on the cathedral walls, scratched right into the frescoes – among them a record of the death of Yaroslav the Wise and the autograph of Prince Volodymyr Monomakh. Opposite the main altar you can see the remains of a fresco portrait of the family of Yaroslav the Wise, who founded the cathedral. The reserve was created in 1934, opened to visitors in May 1935 and received national status in 1994. St. Sophia Cathedral and its monastery ensemble have been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1990 – the first landmark in Ukraine to receive this status.