The Assumption Cathedral of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra is a unique ancient landmark of architecture of the times of Kievan Rus, the most revered shrine of Orthodoxy, which is included in the list of UNESCO monuments – the world cultural heritage.

The beginning of the construction of the cathedral in 1073. The cathedral acquired its final form in the middle of the 18th century and existed in that form until the destruction of May 1941.

According to the instructions of the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian PCP dated February 26, 80 No. 28-363.7, on the basis of the program-task approved by the Kiev City Executive Committee and agreed upon by the Gosstroy of the USSR on the order of the Main Culture Department of the Kiev Misquiconmo, the Ukrproektrestavraya Institute began on December 9, 181 the development of a scientific-doslidnotskoi documentation on the restoration of the Assumption Cathedral. ”

On February 2, 1986, a draft design was considered at the presidium of the Scientific and Methodological Council for the Protection of Monuments of Culture of the USSR Ministry of Culture, which noted that the project complies with the requirements of the USSR Law and the provision On the Protection and Use of Historical and Cultural Monuments. The controversial issue in the project was the foundation of the cathedral. Due to the complexity of the soil conditions, the institute “Ukrproektrestavratsiya” has developed several options for the construction of foundations. The proposed project options have been comprehensively studied by leading design and research institutes in Kiev and Moscow in the area of foundation-blowing.

Positive feedback and recommendations were received for these options. Research and design organizations involved in the consultations, (Giprograzhdanpromstroy, KyivZNIIEP, Fundetspetsproekt (Moscow), Trus Minmontazhspetsstroy of the Ukrainian SSR and others), including the presidium of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, recommended using brown injection piles. However, some historians suggested to recreate the cathedral on the basis of the project with the use of lightweight structures and device strip foundations.

The arrangement of strip foundations would have caused the destruction of the archaeological layer at the site of the cathedral’s existence and did not guarantee the reliability of the structures (even relief), given the very complex geological conditions and the need to preserve the remains of the cathedral. Due to the difference of views further design was stopped.

Subsequently, the restoration of the Assumption Cathedral was carried out by the Ukrproektrestavratsiya Institute and Ukrrestavratsiya Corporation as a general contracting organization in collaboration with other organizations. Over the many years of its existence, the institute Ukrproektrestavratsiya has accumulated a great experience in the restoration of architectural monuments, which was used in developing the restoration project of the Assumption Cathedral. Given the availability of a draft design and part of the working documentation, as well as a large amount of research, the institute was able to quickly complete the necessary revision of the project documentation and ensure the reproduction of the Assumption Cathedral by the Ukrrestavratsiya corporation.

The works were carried out in accordance with the Order of the President of Ukraine No. 20/96 rp dated January 27, 1996 “On Priority Measures for the Restoration of the Mikhailovsky Golden-Domed Monastery Complex and the Assumption Cathedral of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra in Kiev”, and the Order of the Kiev City State Administration No. 870 dated 12.06.96. approved the sequence of priority work on the restoration of the Assumption Cathedral. The customer for the construction of the determined direction of the Kiev-Pechersk Nature Reserve, gekproektovuvalnikom – JSC “Kievproject”. general contractor – Kievgorstroy.

The customer was the Kiev-Pechersk Nature Reserve, which, in collaboration with the experts involved, developed a “comprehensive work program on the view of the Assumption Cathedral,” approved by the Chairman of the Kiev City State Administration on November 27, 1996. In coordination with the Gosstroi, the Ministry of Culture, Commission on “Reproduction of Historical and Cultural Sights” under the President of Ukraine.

As mentioned earlier, due to the fact that developed in 1986-1991. Design and estimate documentation for the restoration of the cathedral outdated, at the first stage during 1996-1997 developed a new scientific concept of rebuilding the Assumption Cathedral, at the second stage – conducted additional architectural, archaeological and engineering research and their generalized at stage III conducted the development of a draft restoration project.

The general designer of JSC “Kievproject” was instructed to conclude an agreement with the institute “Ukrproektrestavratsiya” with the participation of

– Research Institute of Building Structures (NLE K:

– Kiev National University of Construction and Architecture (KNUSA)

– institutes of archeology and geologist of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS of Ukraine.

The program of work provided for scientific research on the study of the engineering-geological and hydrogeological situation not only under the “spot” of the Assumption Cathedral, but also the surrounding territory of the Upper Lavra with the buildings located on it and determining the impact of the restoration of the cathedral on the adjacent building and on the overall stability of the platform upper laurels.

In February-March 1998, the Ministry of Culture and Gosstroy with the participation of the National Academy of Sciences

Ukraine studied the issue of announcing a competition for the best restoration project of the Assumption Cathedral and came to the conclusion that it can be carried out after completing a complex of geotechnical and archaeological research that will form the basis of the conditions and objectives of the competition.

After the completion of these works in 1998, Gosstroy, the Ministry of Culture and the Kyiv City State Administration decided on the need for a competition.