The Church of St. Nicholas Pritisk is one of the most ancient monuments preserved in Podol. The church was built at the expense of a Kyiv tradesman nicknamed Iron Grosh in 1695-1707 (according to other sources – in 1631) in the Ukrainian Baroque style. In the place where the temple is now located, back in the days of Kievan Rus there was a church dedicated to St. Nicholas.
The name of the church most likely comes from the word “butt” (pier). Saint Nicholas has always been the patron saint of sailors, traders and merchants, so it is not surprising that the trading people of Podol built churches dedicated to their saint. According to another version, the name is associated with a miracle that occurred in the church – a thief who tried to climb out of the window at night and robbed the church was pressed (pressed) by the window sash (or the icon of St. Nicholas) and was discovered the next morning by the parishioners of the church.
In the 16th century, a new wooden church was built on the same site, which according to tradition received the same name. The first mention of it is found in sources of 1612. It is known that during a strong fire in Podol in 1651, it burned down. The Church of St. Nicholas Pritisk suffered a rather difficult fate; the stone church also burned more than once. After the fire of 1718, the church was restored in 1750 with money from patrons. The fire of 1811 was especially terrible, when the entire Podol burned down. After this fire, the charred walls of the church had no roof for more than a decade. The restoration of the temple, together with the bell tower, was carried out according to the design of the architect Andrei Melensky (monument to Magdeburg Law, St. Nicholas Church on Askoldova Mogila, Church of the Nativity, Church of the Exaltation of the Cross) while preserving its architectural forms. The bell tower was built in the Empire style, but with stucco in the Baroque style, and its upper tier in the Classicist style was completed in the second half of the 19th century. At the beginning of the 20th century, on the initiative of the church warden, the temple was significantly renovated, but already in 1909 it burned down again.
During the Soviet period, services in the temple continued until 1935, since Metropolitan of the UAOC John Pavlovsky conducted services and lived there. In 1935, the temple was closed and the premises were used as a cotton spinning factory. Since 1977, the temple has been restored, and on May 17, 1983, its southeastern part collapsed. Restoration continued until 1990. After its completion, the church was handed over to the believers some time later. Initially, the temple belonged to the community of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, currently – to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate.
Where is the Church of St. Nicholas Pritiska?
Khoriv street, 5A
(044) 463-68-53
morning worship: Mon, Tue: 10:00, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat: 09:00, Sun: 08:00
evening service: 17:00, except Sat: 16:00 all-night vigil