It is known that temples have stood on this site since ancient times. Back in the 18th century, when Priorka was not yet a suburb of Kyiv, but only a suburban settlement, there stood the wooden Demetrius Church (the Church of Saints George and Demetrius). In 1791, it was dismantled, and in 1795, “through the diligence of the assessors of the former conscience court Stefan Rybalsky, merchants Timofey Zaremba and Andrei Khizhnyak,” a wooden church was built on a stone foundation. By the beginning of the 20th century, Priorka was already a suburb of Kyiv, and its population increased significantly. There was a need for a new temple. The parishioners again dismantled the church and started a new building in 1902. The consecration of the built temple took place in September 1906. The total cost of building the church was 57,000 silver rubles, most of which were donations from clergy, Kyiv merchants and prior parishioners.
During Soviet times, the parish of the church was registered in December 1920. For some time, parishes of the UAOC and the traditional Old Slavonic society coexisted in the church. At the end of the 1920s, the temple completely returned to the Old Slavonic parish. In 1922, a sisterhood was formed at the church – in addition to church affairs, the sisters were engaged in charity: they prepared dinners and delivered them to Kyiv prisons. The temple building has been preserved practically without reconstruction or alterations. Throughout the 20th century, the church was never destroyed. In February 1938, the temple was closed, and a vegetable warehouse was set up in its building. The church reopened in September 1941 and has not closed since then. However, church utensils and objects for worship were lost – with the exception of the doors from the iconostasis with the icon of the Archangel Michael. It still stands in the right aisle of the temple. The new iconostasis, which has survived to this day, was built in 1944 through the efforts of the then rector of the temple, Timofey Koval. The iconostasis was painted by the famous Ukrainian artist Ivan Izhakevich.
The Church of the Intercession is practically the only one in Vinogradar and therefore the temple is always crowded. In addition to local residents, people who received apartments in other areas of the city after the demolition of Priorka’s one-story buildings also come here. For the 100th anniversary of the consecration of the temple, in 2008, the main dome of the church was re-covered – benefactors donated 56,000 hryvnia for this cause. At the Church of the Intercession of the Virgin Mary there is a Sunday school and theological courses.
Where is the Church of the Intercession of the Virgin Mary?
Mostitskaya street, 2
(068) 575-02-97
services: morning 08:00 (Tue 09:00, Sat and Sun 07:00 and 09:00), evening 17:00