Is it possible to restore St. Sophia Cathedral after the Russian attack – the answer of the CEO
12 June 2025 13:56
EXCLUSIVE
On the night of June 10, a massive rocket attack on Kyiv damaged St. Sophia Cathedral, one of Ukraine’s most valuable historical and spiritual symbols, which is under UNESCO protection. Mykola Tochytskyi, Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications, confirmed that the blast wave from the night shelling caused partial destruction of the cornice on the main apse of St. Sophia Cathedral.
UNESCO has already announced its intention to send an expert mission to document the damage. Hagia Sophia was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1990.
Why did the aggressor target St. Sophia? Read the article of "Komersant Ukrainian" about what the attack on St. Sophia Cathedral means for Ukrainian cultural heritage and how realistic it is to fully restore the monument
The target that was warned about: testimony of the director general of the reserve
Director General of the National Conservation Area “St. Sophia of Kyiv” Nelia Kukovalska in a commentary
“At the beginning of the war, I received assurances from the competent authorities that there was such intelligence. Sophia has long been a target for Russia. It is a symbol of our nation, our statehood, our faith, our spirituality,”
– said Nelia Kukovalska.
The director notes that in today’s war, it is impossible to fully protect objects of this scale and importance. A number of concepts have been developed, but there is no universal protection.
“Unfortunately, we could not apply anything I saw… We knew perfectly well that nothing would save us from a direct attack. The only hope is our air defense and the Armed Forces of Ukraine,”
– Nelya Kukovalska said.
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Restoration is already planned: 3D scanning will ensure accuracy
Despite the difficult situation, the National Reserve’s specialists are already preparing a plan for the restoration of the damaged element. Kukovalska emphasizes that there are no technical problems.
“We have 3D modeling, we have 3D scans, so we can restore the cornice exactly as it was. I see no problems, neither technical nor professional. We have a very cool team,”
– Kukovalska emphasized.
The director general of the St. Sophia of Kyiv National Conservation Area also emphasized the importance of proper chemical and technological analysis of the historic plaster to preserve its adhesion to authentic materials. According to her, the main work on the restoration of the cornice is scheduled to be completed by the fall of 2025.
Global responsibility: what’s next?
The situation around St. Sophia Cathedral once again draws attention to the problem of the deliberate destruction of cultural heritage during the war. Ukraine has repeatedly appealed to UNESCO and other international organizations to take real measures to preserve sites of historical significance.
Let me remind you that St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv was built in the 11th century. It is not only one of the most prominent architectural structures in Ukraine, but also a symbol of statehood, Christianity and cultural continuity of Kyivan Rus. In 1990, it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
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